I Have Faith In You
by Florencia7
Summary: Sparrabeth. Post AWE. Elizabeth runs away from home & Will to find Jack, but it is merely the beginning of a new adventure... Please note: written before the actual AWE release.
1. Chapter 1

Hi everyone! I signed up to this site very recently and I really enjoy reading all the stories here. They are wonderful, and I wasn't sure whether I should post anything myself, but then I decided that I will give it a try... This is the first chapter of a story I have in mind (and my first fan fiction ever). If you'd be as kind as to R&R I'll be more than happy:)

Disclaimer: I do not own Jack, Elizabeth, etc.

**I Have Faith In You**

**Chapter 1**

He kept coming in dreams.

Every night, when she finally fell asleep, she could see him. In no particular circumstances. Just his face, his silhouette, so vivid that she almost always woke up horrified. Soon, she was going to get married, and the face she was seeing in her dreams was decidedly not the face of her future husband.

One night, looking at the starless sky, she realized that the road she has taken leads her nowhere and makes unhappy not only her, but other people around her as well. Whatever it takes she must confront her feelings, the dreams that may (although they do not have to) be illusory, with the reality. This is the only way to find peace, the only way to stop dreaming about something that hardly even ever existed.

She opened her armoire, but could not decide on what she should take, so she just put on her shoes, took some money, grabbed a light coat, and left clandestinely.

She did not remember how exactly she arrived on Tortuga.

It scared her, finding herself suddenly in that strange town, without a plan, with some hope, but with no conviction.

She decided, at random, to walk into one of the noisy taverns.

The room was very dark and humid. She slowly made her way between the tables, looking around, uncertain and terrified. It was a wonder that she had actually come here at all. People looked at her with suspicion. It was probably because of the frantically bright, yellow dress that she wore. She should have worn something else, something darker, but she had been in a hurry, half-conscious, and on the verge of not going, so that it escaped her to think about such details as the color of a dress.

She got almost to the other side of the large, noisy room without finding what she was looking for, when she saw a man, who sat silently in the corner by a little, lonely table, and was staring listlessly into an empty glass.

She could hear her heart beating furiously, as she moved closer, feeling an irrational mixture of piercing fear and overpowering joy.

"One more!", said the man all of a sudden, without looking up, probably just sensing somebody's presence, and mistaking her for a waitress.

She smiled subconsciously at the sound of his voice. She has not heard it for over three months that had passed since they had come back from the world's end. They had come back, and parted, quite sensibly. But it was only a week that she had needed to realize how senseless were all her attempts to forget _him_. How impossible it was to live without him. It almost hurt her, being unable to see his face, to listen to his voice, to feel...

"Or two more...", he said in a low voice.

She silently sat next to him and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

He almost jumped, which apparently meant that he was not all that drunk. Moving away from her, he shouted "no!" with some strange kind of panic in his voice. He still did not actually see her, because he had his hat lowered in such a way that it nigh completely covered his eyes. And then, very quietly, as if he was talking to himself, he said something that astonished her as much as it pleased her. Very sullenly, he whispered:

"Ye're not my Lizzie", and attempted to drink from the empty glass.

"Well", Elizabeth finally decided to speak up, "While _Lizzie_ is certainly something that I may consider to be my proper name, I do not know much about the curious _my_ before it."

The empty glass hit the table, but not until hit it the floor it broke with a loud sound, which however, conveniently enough, did not attract any attention.

Captain Jack Sparrow slowly took off his hat, and looked at Elizabeth expressionlessly. She smiled faintly, and blushed, suddenly feeling an overwhelming awkwardness of this situation.

"Elizabeth", he whispered at last, moving closer to her, perhaps even too close, for she could feel his breath on her face, and for some reason it was making her dizzy.

His dark eyes glimmered, as he looked at her mesmerizingly. And, quite unexpectedly, she noticed his hand gently caressing her face, and that fairly innocent gesture gave her shivers. It was as if everything around stopped and she did not question her presence in this place anymore. It was perfectly right, absolutely unavoidable to be here, with him, right now; always.

"I-I was looking for you, Jack", she stammered, but it was well-nigh impossible to speak, when he was so close.

"It's really you", he stated with this particular wicked smile of his, that she missed only too much.

"Yes", she managed to say, before he silenced her by putting his finger across her lips.

It suddenly crossed her mind what she had done. She had left everything behind, she had left without saying a word, only because he kept coming in dreams...

She began to feel guilty, because of her father, because of Will... Will. She drew back from Jack a little. Was it a betrayal? Even if she did not love him anymore?

"What's wrong, luv?" Jack was looking at her intently.

"I don't know. I don't even know how I got here. And I don't know if I should be here at all", she stared at the floor, afraid for some reason to look at Jack.

"Aye. Ye're absolutely right", said Jack, smiling.

"Beg pardon?" Elizabeth glanced at him astonished. After all, she had hoped that he would disagree with her at that point passionately

"Ye should not be here, Miss Swann", he said looking around the room.

Jack took Elizabeth by the hand, and helped her to stand up.

"But quite fortunately, I happened to know where ye _should_ be."

They left the place quickly. The night was dark and cool, but it appeared to Elizabeth that there was something nearly transcendental in walking with Jack by her side, in holding his hand, as if casually, as if it was something absolutely natural.

They walked in silence. She could feel how strongly he was squeezing her hand in his, as if he was afraid that she may runaway or disappear from his life as it had happened before too many times.

She could hear the ocean and feel the fresh wind, that could only come from the sea. The wind with the scent of a promise, of happiness, of freedom, and life.

"Jack, I... I wanted to tell you... I... I think... No. I am certain that..."

It seemed so obvious now, and she wanted to tell him the truth, she wanted to tell him that he had kept coming in dreams, and that she lov...

"Jack?", she asked quietly, suddenly realizing that he has not been listening. "Jack?"

He looked confused and astonished, and stared forward with a certain disbelief in his eyes.

"Is anything wrong, Jack?", asked Elizabeth, trying to read an answer from his face.

"Aye. Yes", he admitted. "I guess something is _very_ wrong. Or rather isn't."

"What do you mean?"

He turned to face her, and said very slowly, seriously, and without much conviction in his voice:

"The ship isn't here. The _Black Pearl_. She's...disappeared."


	2. Chapter 2

I didn't expect to update that fast, but luckily I had time, so there it is:)

Paige-Nicole-93 and dextriin , thank you for your reviews!

Disclaimer: Disney owns POTC.

**Chapter 2**

For over two hours they were walking around the town, looking for Gibbs, Cotton, Cotton's parrot, or anybody from the crew who might know what has happened to the _Black Pearl_. However, there was no one to be found. It seemed that the ship had vanished along with the crew.

Jack looked rather troubled, and Elizabeth could not do much about it. She felt exhausted and drowsy, and quite senselessly guilty once again.

"Ye look tired, luv", said Jack looking at her worryingly. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be dragging you along like that."

"That's fine", she smiled, despite being really worn out, but somehow it was surprisingly easy to smile when he was near.

"We must find some place to stay there overnight."

As soon as he said it, he realized that it was going to be quite a task to find a place that he would dare to take Elizabeth into. He knew all kind of places and many people in Tortuga, but he doubted whether any of those acquaintances would please her.

Elizabeth was slowly falling asleep already, and unconsciously, she lowered her head on Jack's arm.

He looked at her, and the sight was stunning. She was so beautiful, and she had come to find him, and it was a miracle, that he had learned not to expect, and yet it had happened, and when it happened it was annoyingly spoiled by this weird disappearance of the _Black Pearl_.

"Come on, luv. I know where we go", he said stroking her hair gently.

"You do?", she asked opening her eyes, and looking up at him.

"Yes. There is a man I knew. He is a doctor. I haven't seen him for some time, but he lived here, and I guess he still does."

"Did he treat _you_?", asked Elizabeth, putting her hand on his chest, where she remembered the bullets scars were.

Jack took her hand away and kissed it with a smile.

"He treated many people, Lizzie. He was a good doctor."

For some reason he was still reluctant to discuss certain issues from his past. Elizabeth wondered, whether he did not want to talk about it at all, or perhaps he did not want to talk about it with her.

After a short walk, they saw a small house, built in a secluded part of the town. It was dark, except for a dim light visible in one of the windows.

Jack knocked on the door. Not long did they wait for the door to open, and an elderly man in a grey coat to appear. He looked at them questioningly at first, but soon he smiled with recognition.

"Captain Jack Sparrow!... It's been _definitely_ too long."

"Philip Fairwood. Time cannot change you."

"Neither can it change you", he said taking a look at Elizabeth, and opening the door wider, to let his guests in.

"This is Philip Fairwood, the best physician that the island of Tortuga can afford. And this is Miss Elizabeth Swann, the unofficial princess of the Caribbean", said Jack in the way of introduction.

"It _is_ the pleasure", said the doctor shaking her hand with a cordial smile.

"Nice to meet you", answered Elizabeth politely.

"A sleepy princess", added Jack. "Would it cause ye a significant trouble to put an ol' friend and a beautiful lady up for one night in your hospitable house?"

"Well, if it's not possible to limit my hospitality to the lady...", said Philip Fairwood jokingly, closing the door.

Very quickly he prepared a neatly furnished room for Elizabeth, where she fell asleep immediately.

Jack waited until she fell asleep, listening to her steady breath, and stroking her hair with still haunting him disbelief that he had her with him, that she wanted to be with him.

"I hope you did not kidnap her or something. That might get you in trouble", said the doctor, when Jack finally joined him in the kitchen.

"I happened to have enough troubles without committing any offences", said Jack rather bitterly.

"Meaning?..."

"Meaning having my ship disappearing", said Jack impatiently.

"Aye. You need a drink, then."

The doctor poured them the drinks, and said after a pause:

"Well, you _did_ expect it to happen someday, didn't you?"

"I'm afraid that in fact I didn't", said Jack wrinkling his forehead. "Why should I?"

"You should know the story of your own ship. Ships live longer than people, but no matter how many captains a ship has in its history, every one of them consider himself to be the only rightful captain."

"Nothing I didn't know of, up till this point."

"So you're aware of the first captain of the _Black Pearl_?", asked the doctor smiling quizzically.

"I'm tired of legends", said Jack grimly.

"It ain't a legend", countered Philip Fairwood. "Every ship, after sailing the waters for a hundred years, has to go back to its first captain."

"Not a legend, aye?", smiled Jack sneeringly.

The doctor looked surprisingly serious. They drank in silence.

"The first captain of your _Pearl _was a very cruel man, Jack. A vicious murderer. But he liked killing people only half as much as he liked to see them suffer. If there were any crew members aboard, when the ship's been taken..."

Jack's smile faded.

"You must find the _Pearl _and the captain if you want to rescue your crew, but be aware that this is a perilous task to be undertaken... "

"And may I enquire how do ye know of this?", asked Jack circumspectly.

The question depressed the doctor. He finished his drink reluctantly.

"Aye. I guess you may", he looked at Jack sullenly. "This captain was my grandfather."


	3. Chapter 3

Only Jack & Liz in this chapter:)

Disclaimer: I do not own what I do not own.

**Chapter 3**

Elizabeth woke up shortly before the dawn. She opened her eyes, trying to remember where she was. The room was dark, except for a faint light coming from under the door from the other room.

It was very quiet, and she sat on the bed, straightening herself up noiselessly, when she noticed Jack sleeping in the armchair near the bed. He must have been here all night. Elizabeth smiled at the thought that he did not want to leave her alone, even if it meant for him to be sleeping in such an uncomfortable position.

Since yesterday, she tried to figure out what his feelings towards her might be like. Whether it was possible for a pirate to be in love with somebody? To love somebody eternally, at least as far as intentions were concerned... Maybe he just liked her? The very possibility frightened her. She looked at him, trying to recall the moment when she had realized that he had become an irreplaceable part of her life. Strangely enough, it seemed that it was in Tortuga, when she was looking for him in order to find Will. Or at least it was the reason that she had chosen to believe to be true at that time. He had said that the compass did not point North. It had indeed pointed to something else. He had said many things back then, many of which turned out not to be true. Not that they ever sounded very plausible in the first place. She should be wise enough not to believe him. She knew he was an incorrigible daydreamer.

But still, she believed in every word he said. If he would say that the sun is green, and the water dry, she would believe him. Perhaps for her, he was more important than the truth. And the truth would be of no importance without him, so she did not care about the truth anymore.

Quietly, she slipped off the bed, and squatted down beside him, taking his hands into hers. His hands were rough, and dry, affected by water, the sun, winds, storms, and all the adventures that she did not know about.

He smiled in his sleep, and tossed slightly. She looked at him for a moment, hesitating, and then, in one quick movement, she leaned towards him, and kissed him on the mouth.

She almost fell over, when Jack, without opening his eyes, said calmly:

"I almost thought ye're never going to do this, darling."

"Well, that was very... not fair of you!", exclaimed Elizabeth in an angry whisper.

It was actually the very first time, since her arrival on Tortuga, when she seemed to be her impulsive and touchy self once again.

Jack opened his eyes and looked at her with pretended astonishment.

"I'd say it was rather unfair of ye, to be taking advantage of me, while I was, supposedly, sleeping."

"Taking advantage of you?!"

It amused Jack, how seriously she treated all these silly jokes that he performed only to see her being indignant over something. She looked charmingly when she was indignant.

He rose from the armchair, and sat next to her on the bed. She tried to avoid his gaze, but he took her face in his hands, and, looking deeply into her eyes, said with a smile:

"Do not think, Lizzie, that I would fail to take advantage of ye", his smile slowly fainted, "if it wouldn't be for that unfortunate affair that has crossed our path."

"The _Black Pearl_", she whispered grimly.

"Aye."

Jack stood up and walked to the window. He was thinking about it throughout the night. He had slept maybe less than an hour altogether. He knew he will go after the Black Pearl, after the crew, even though he could probably leave them behind, as it was advised to do so in the code. But he could not do this. He did not want to do this. Yet, it would be incomprehensibly selfish to take Elizabeth along. She must not go with him. She must stay. She must go back home.

But it was so painful a decision to be made. How could he leave her, after she had come to him? Even if it was for her own good, it did not make the matter any easier.

And, moreover, he did not _want_ to send her away.

"Jack?" She was standing beside him, looking worried.

He looked at her, and recounted to her briefly what Philip Fairwood had told him last night.

"Does he know where the _Black Pearl_ might be right now?", asked Elizabeth doubtfully.

"He says he does", answered Jack blankly.

"It seems that we have a need to find a ship, which could take us there, wherever this _there_ is", she said simply.

Jack looked at her for a moment, without saying a word. The day was starting off cloudy, but a faint light coming from the window from the rising sun, made Elizabeth's face look enchantingly dreamy and mysterious. It crossed Jack's mind that she would go with him, if he only asked her, if he only let her. But it would be a vile act to let her do this. And if he... And because he had these feelings towards her...

"Ye're not going anywhere, Elizabeth", he said quietly, but resolutely.

She looked as if she did not get his meaning too well at first. Then, she looked with disbelief. It hurt him that she looked so frightened, and he did not understand, why she should be frightened rather than surprised, or sad, or indifferent.

Well, he would not want her to look indifferent, but still...

"And why is that, Jack?", she whispered after a while.

It was unbearable to be watching her with that agonized expression on her face.

All of a sudden, he pulled her towards him, and kissed her passionately, madly, ceaselessly, until the kiss had to be broken in order for them to catch a breath.

She looked at him with amazement, not sure what was actually happening. Trying to think...

But he kissed her again, so she ceased to think.

"Can you...tell me _now_...where are we going?", she managed to asked, breaking the kiss for a moment.

"Isla de Dolor", answered Jack meekly.

From the outside the room, there came a sudden noise of a shot being fired.

Elizabeth and Jack froze to the spot.


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you for all the reviews!:)

Disclaimer: Jack, Elizabeth, etc. belong to Disney.

**Chapter 4**

Jack ordered Elizabeth to stay in the room (although he knew that if she decides otherwise, no order can possibly stop her). Then, he crept up to the door and tried to hear something, anything. But there was no sound to be heard, after this single, weird pistol shot. Jack slowly opened the door, and peeked outside. Nobody. The only thing he could see, was the front door, which was slightly ajar.

He went out, and close the door behind him.

Elizabeth was not particularly happy to wait and do nothing, but somehow she did not want to disobey Jack. As soon as she realized that, however, it felt strange and surprising, as she has never had this kind of scruples before.

She sat on the bed, trying to think what it could be that they heard. But instead, she found herself thinking about Jack, about the kiss...

Elizabeth started, as the door suddenly opened. She sighed with relief, seeing that it was only Jack.

"The house is empty", he said hesitantly.

"Empty?", she asked, coming up to him. "And where is this friend of yours?"

"I've no idea, luv."

Suddenly, somebody pushed the front door, and walked into the house quite casually. It was the doctor. He smiled, noticing Elizabeth and Jack looking at him questioningly.

"I didn't wake you up, did I?", he asked shutting the door.

Jack noticed that he was covering his left arm with his right hand.

"What was this shooting all about?", asked Jack curiously.

"Oh, nothing", Philip Fairwood waived his hand dismissively. "Just a rat."

"Oh, I see..."

"You two are welcomed to join me for breakfast."

Neither of them ate much. After breakfast, it was the time to say good-bye. The doctor gave Jack some tatty books, exhausted maps, and a small wooden box.

"Watch out for yourselves. And for the rain", he said in his last words.

Elizabeth and Jack walked away, leaving the doctor's house behind.

"Ye know, Lizzie", began Jack, taking Elizabeth by the hand. "I wanted to ask you... Are ye certain that ye want to get tangled in this..."

"Jack", she interrupted him impatiently, "Quit it. And tell me what ship we are going to steal?"

"Commandeer", corrected her Jack, obviously wounded. "Commandeer a ship."

It was not only the choice of a word that hurt him, but also a vague memory of somebody who had made this mistake before. He got rid of the thought quickly.

"I'm sorry, Captain", said Elizabeth, smiling apologetically.

"It ain't enough to be sorry, luv", said Jack teasingly, drawing his hand across her face.

She looked at him half-smiling, and with her lips almost touching his, asked quietly:

"Then what _would be _enough?"

"It _would be_ useful, if ye could, for example, cook. Or, at least, sew", he said matter-of-factly.

Elizabeth gave him a cold look, and turned away from him, without saying a word.

"Or, perhaps", said Jack in a reconciliatory manner, "I could accept a kiss as way of compensation."

Elizabeth turned towards him, ready to give him a witty answer of some kind, but was prevented from doing so, by an ardent kiss, which caught her off guard.

"I love you Jack", she whispered shockingly simply, when he opened his eyes, and looked at her.

Then she pulled his hand, and forced him to continue walking, as if she wanted to avoid the opportunity of hearing his answer. Then she kept talking ceaselessly, until they got to the town's center.

In town, they bought what they needed for the journey, and they were ready to go to finally find the most important thing, that is the ship which could be conveniently overtaken, when Jack decided to buy yet something, a weapon of some kind, apparently, in a store that looked somewhat dark and suspicious, so he advised Elizabeth to wait for him outside for a moment.

The sun came out from behind the clouds. Elizabeth was getting tired of waiting, even though it was not even three minutes that has passed since he was gone. Curiously enough, it occurred to her that she actually missed him. It was very disturbing not to see him. She knew he will be back soon, but when she tried to imagine how would it feel, if he should be away for a longer period of time, she found herself shuddering at the very thought.

"Elizabeth!", she suddenly heard her name spoken in a loud voice.

She smiled subconsciously, assuming that it was Jack, who called her.

But it was not him.

She looked up, and her smile vanished. What she saw, seemed so distant, and abstract to her at the moment, that she could hardly believe her eyes. She almost forgot all about it, as if it did not relate to her anymore. She wanted to say something, but could not. She was struck dumb with astonishment, and yet, with some strange naivety, she hoped that perhaps she is hallucinating.

"Elizabeth!", repeated the hallucination with an uncertain look on his face.

"Will!", Elizabeth smiled stupidly.

She felt like running, but it did not seem to be a solution. She looked around timidly, but it made her become even more gloomy, as she noticed one more person approaching. She never knew that her father can walk that fast.

"Elizabeth", said her father with visible indignation."What are you doing here? I came here, although it seemed to be the most absurd possibility... And yet... You are here! You are here indeed!", he shouted with disbelief.

She did not know which sight was worse: her father screaming and bursting with outrage, or Will standing silently and looking dreadfully dreary.

Perhaps, there was a sight even worse than the two mentioned above.

"Oh bugger."

It was the sight of Captain Jack Sparrow, coming out of the store, and suddenly facing Governor Swann and William Turner.


	5. Chapter 5

Let's (finally) set sails:)

Oh, and there is no cliffhangers at the end of this chapter (yeah, sure;)).

Disclaimer: Believe it or not, I do not own POTC.

**Chapter 5**

Governor Swann was shattered and astonished by the sight of Jack. Not that Jack Sparrow was not quite a plausible sight on the island of Tortuga. But the Governor did hope, after all, that his daughter would not be here, and that it was only Will unwisely exaggerating Elizabeth's weakness for Jack that made them to look for her in this atrocious town. Unfortunately, it all turned out to be true.

It was just too much for him, to see his daughter in _such_ a place, with _such_ a man, and in _such _a state. For there was something disturbing about her. Apart from her hair and her clothes being dishevelled, her shoes dirty, most importantly, she had this strange glint of joy in her eyes, that he could not (and did not want to) interpret.

"Elizabeth", began the Governor, trying to remain calm. "I demand _firmly_ that you..."

Jack did not need much time to decide that the situation was almost too difficult to be dealt with. He could almost picture Elizabeth being taken away, and it was a threat demanding a resolute counteraction.

Perhaps there was something more sophisticated to be expected of Captain Jack Sparrow, but at the moment he could not think about anything better to do.

"It's an indescribable pleasure", he began, causing Elizabeth's father to nearly lose his hardly still manageable patience, "...to see ye all... again", Jack took a few steps to stand closer to Elizabeth, "but... unfortunately... we really must be going!", and hardly finishing the sentence, he pulled Elizabeth's hand, and literally ran away with her, leaving the two gentlemen completely astonished, which astonishment caused them not to react properly and fast enough to what has just happened.

"It's insane", whispered Elizabeth, almost unable to breath, running as fast as she could.

"That's why it works", answered Jack with a puckish smile.

They ran through the streets, unable to even take a quick look behind them, to check whether there was anybody at all willing to chase them in the first place.

Reaching the harbor, Jack spotted what he hoped to find there. A ship, just waiting to be commandeered. Despite the exhaustion they continued running, and at last, they ran aboard the ship, but with such a velocity that Elizabeth did not even notice it. She just sighed with relief, when they stopped running, and she could catch her breath again. She was dazed with exhaustion.

She sat down on the deck, and did not even take a notice of a few frightened sailors running away from the ship with their arms lifted up. She did not see what Jack have been doing, but she had a strange conviction that he will take care of the situation, even though she had already enough evidence to suspect that it was rather situations that were taking care of Captain Sparrow in most of the cases.

It was precisely what has been always surprising her most: not that she loved him, but that she trusted him so much. More than it was reasonable. More, perhaps, than she should.

After a few minutes, she felt the ship rolling on the waves, and she staggered to her feet, still not feeling perfectly well. As she looked towards the beach, she saw a dwindling figure of somebody observing the ship sailing away.

She felt sorry, and guilty, and cruel. It was not a right thing to do. She had no right to hurt anybody, just because...

"Lizzie..."

She turned around, and smiled weakly at Jack.

"I'm sorry", he said seriously, and took her in his arms, half-expecting to be pushed away.

But she did no effort to free herself. Instead, she nestled her head into his chest, and closed her eyes.

He did not dare to move. He remembered what she said, that she said she loves him. It was a word frequently used by him, and towards him, but it has never had this meaning before. It has never felt like this before. Now, for the first time, he could _feel _what she said. He could feel the meaning of it. He could not yet fully grasp the meaning of it, he could not name what it felt like. But he could feel it. And he hugged her close, because whatever this meaning was, it was _in _her; it _was_ her.

"I'm an awful person, Jack", she said bitterly.

He looked at her, frowning, and forced her to look at him.

"No, ye're not, Elizabeth."

"Yes, I am", she insisted. "And you know it even better than anybody else", she said with tears running down her cheeks.

He knew what she was referring to. He told her a thousand (or at least four) times already that he did not mind it, that he did not mind this whole chaining-to-the-mast affair. Especially, that she came back for him. She sailed to the end of the world to find him. But, nevertheless, she just seemed to ignore his assurances, and continued to feel repeatedly guilty.

"There's only one thing I know for sure, Lizzie", he said looking deeply into her eyes. "Do ye want to know what it is?"

She stopped crying, and nodded timidly. He fiddled with her hair for a moment, feasting his eyes on her beautiful eyes gazing at him attentively and adoringly. He could not recall anybody looking at him like that. Maybe he did not even want anybody to look at him like that before.

"I love you, Lizzie", he said with a roguish smile.

She looked at him, blinking, as if she did not really understand him. He leaned to kiss her, considering it a good way to clarify his meaning, but then she jumped up, suddenly remembering something.

"Jack, where are we?", she asked, looking around.

"What?", he was somehow disappointed by the change of the topic. "Oh. Aye. The ship. It's... Well, it was very chivalrous of your dear father, and of...", he hesitated, but finally decided to skip the name. "Of your father to put a little maneuverable ship like that into the port of Tortuga. But I'm afraid he'll need to find a different one to sail back to Port Royal."

Elizabeth sighed with comprehension.

"I guess it will not make him like us more", she said guiltily. "Why are you smiling, Jack?", asked Elizabeth, noticing Jack smiling at her happily.

"Us", he said coming close to her. "Ye just said _us_, luv."

"Did I?", she asked indifferently, trying not to smile, and not to show that she was repeating to herself in her mind his earlier, unbelievably beautiful, and long-awaited words over and over again.

"Aye. And accidentally, now, there is only _us_, and the ship, and the ocean", he enumerated, attempting again to kiss her.

"And a man with a knife", said Elizabeth in a low voice, pointing at something.

Jack looked at her bewildered, but quickly turned around to follow her hand and her gaze.

Indeed, just emerging from below the deck, was some man with a knife.


	6. Chapter 6

Firstly: _Dear reviewers: I'd like to thank you all for your reviews! I'm always more than happy to read them:)_

Secondly: I can't believe I actually uploaded a chapter!!! I was trying for 5 days, and it didn't work, and now it does!

Disclaimer: I do not own POTC, but I think I own the man with a knife. What a consolation...!

**Chapter 6**

"Who are ye?", asked Jack disgustedly, and perhaps a little too bluntly.

The man came closer, and looked at them with perplexity. He wore white clothes, and did not look like a soldier, or a sailor, although he was holding a long, and dangerously looking knife in his right hand, which demanded treating him with at least some respect.

"And who are _you_?", he asked wrinkling his forehead. "And where is the Governor?"

"I don't know whether ye're entitled to ask such questions", said Jack narrowing his eyes.

The man looked at Elizabeth, and then at Jack, and said firmly:

"And I don't know whether _you_ are entitled to be here."

"He's annoying", said Jack quietly, so that only Elizabeth could hear him.

"He's got a knife", observed Elizabeth rather accurately.

"Didn't ye hear, when I _politely_ asked everybody to go ashore?", asked Jack, trying not to sound irritated.

"No", said the man indifferently. "And who are you anyway?"

"Currently", explained Jack patiently, "I'm the captain of this ship. And ye're...?"

The man looked at them with a blank expression on his face.

"And I'm a cook", he finally admitted, staring at them with a growing suspicion.

Jack rolled his eyes in exasperation. It was well-nigh perfect, the situation. They escaped, they found a ship, and they were all alone in the middle of the ocean. Only him and her. Like back then on the island, where they were marooned together. But this time, having her told him that she loved him, it was much more better. It was _the _opportune moment. And here we go. A cook.

"Why?", asked Jack helplessly.

"Because I was trained to be a cook", answered the man, arching his eyebrows.

Jack waived his hand impatiently at the misapprehension of his question.

"Well", started Elizabeth, trying to settle the situation in a conciliatory manner. "Governor Swann elected to... stay on the island for... some time, and he entrusted us with taking care of the ship."

"You know the Governor?", asked the man, slightly calmed down.

"Yes!", exclaimed Elizabeth with a reassuring smile."I'm his daughter."

"Oh! Then", he looked at Jack suspiciously, but shrugged his shoulders, and said "I'll go back below deck to finish cooking." He turned around, and went away. "I'll let you know when it's ready!", he shouted from the stairs.

The cook did not seem to be bothered by the change that took place on the ship. He did not seem to care at all, as long as he could carry out his professional duties without interference.

"I say", suggested Jack as soon as the man was out of sight, "we throw him overboard."

"Jack!", exclaimed Elizabeth indignantly.

"Why not?", asked Jack, putting on a hurt look.

Elizabeth laughed.

"It seems that somebody thwarted somebody's plans a little", she said, brushing a strand of hair off Jack's forehead."

"Ruined, darling. Ruined viciously and mercilessly", said Jack, putting his arms around Elizabeth's waist.

"What do you want to drink?", asked the man, suddenly appearing again, just beside them.

Jack let go of Elizabeth, and looked at the cook with a clear hostility, of which, however, the latter seemed to take no notice.

"Rum", said Elizabeth, considering it the only thing that could make Jack feel better at the moment.

"There is no rum", said the cook, unconsciously apparently lowering his chances for survival.

Jack has had enough, but for Elizabeth's sake, he decided to try solving the situation in a friendly manner. In very vivid words, he explained that they were heading for a very, _very_, **very** dangerous destination, that any sensible person would gladly try to avoid at all costs. Therefore, Jack strongly advises him to get into a cozy longboat and sail back to Tortuga, which is not too far away yet. And he can take with him all the cutlery and food he wants.

The cook did not seem to be particularly impressed by the story. And as if being destined to be annoying, he asked Jack where exactly they are going.

"Isla de Dolor", confessed Jack impatiently. "It's a very scary place, savvy?"

"Yeah", said the cook, waiving his hand knowingly."I know. I've been there."

Elizabeth and Jack stared at him, struck dumb with astonishment.

"What do you want to drink?", he repeated his question. "Because I think I'm going to stay", he added, as if he was doing them a favor.

"No, ye're not!", exclaimed Jack, but he was silenced by Elizabeth, who lightly poked him in the side.

"Maybe", she began turning to the cook with a smile, and giving Jack a meaningful look. "We could eat together and you could tell us something interesting about your stay on Isla de Dolor?"

"That's fine with me", the man acquiesced rather easily, and directed his steps down the stairs.

Elizabeth waited until he disappeared below deck, and turned to Jack.

"Jack! Perhaps he can tell us something important!", she said peevishly. "Don't you think?"

"Aye. About local fruits and vegetables, I imagine", he stated ironically.

"But we can at least listen to what he has to say."

Jack looked at her as if in hope of something.

"And then we can throw him overboard?", he asked timidly.

Elizabeth sighed, but something like a smile flickered across her face. Yet, she stared at him with a curious expression. Jack looked at her, suddenly enthralled by the thought that she was here with him. It was just something that he could not yet learn to take for granted. And what was more, while she was still that hot-tempered and independent girl he remembered, recently, he also noticed that at times she was almost shy with him, and there was something like fear in her eyes. He knew it was not fear, but he could not find a better name for it. But whatever it was, somehow it was making him feel responsible for her, and although he has never felt responsible for anybody (apart from the Black Pearl, of course) before, now he was almost sure that he wanted to take responsibility for Elizabeth, to take care of her.

Elizabeth looked at him, wondering what he might be thinking of right now. He seemed to have lost himself in thought.

"Jack, do we have a heading?", she asked, stroking his face with her fingertips.

"What?", he asked, ignorant to the question, but not to the gesture. Yes, he certainly did want to take care of her.

"Our heading, Jack", she repeated softly, guessing that he must have been thinking about the Pearl.

Before he had a chance to answer, she went away. She did not want to be keeping him from planning the salvage, so she went to see about the ship.

Jack did the same, but could not really concentrate, although he tried to focus his attention exclusively on the ship and the salvage of the Pearl. But as if out of spite, his thoughts kept revolving around Elizabeth – only. He could not entirely figure it out yet. Every time he thought he knew what he feels towards her, the feeling changed. It kept changing and becoming more complex and complicated, so he could hardly follow his own emotions. Now, for instance, she barely walked away a few steps, and he already missed her. He was already worrying about her being safe. She might stumble over something, he thought. No. It was really bad. It was pathetic. A pirate worrying that a girl may stumble over. Or she might even fall over...?... Oh, bugger.

He stood at the helm for some time, to make sure that they will not go off course. The sails were hoisted, and they travelled under full sail. The sea was turquoise and rather quiet.

A table was set on the upper deck. The meal served was surprisingly tasty, so yet another reason for throwing the man overboard was out.

However, he did not have too much to tell as far as the topic of Isla de Dolor was concerned. He has been to it twice, while he worked on a ship called the Sweet Violet ("Oh, bugger." / "Jack!..."). Then, he made an hour-long digression on his childhood, and finally he mentioned stories he was told on the island, about an evil captain living there, in a deserted part of Isla de Dolor, on the Fear Coast. The stories about a captain who, supposedly kidnaps people from the passing ships, in order to exchange them later for these ships. However, after the ships are given up to him, the missing people are never to be found or seen again anyway, so according to the cook the whole story made little sense, and was more like a legend, highly unlikely, extremely improbable.

"Just like the one about Davy Jones", the cook added contemptuously.

"Oh, that one is truly ridiculous. Only an idiot could believe it", remarked Jack with some annoyance.

"Exactly", nodded the cook.

Suddenly, the meal was interrupted.

"It's raining", observed Elizabeth, surprised a little.

The sky was perfectly blue and cloudless, and the sea calm. Yet, the rain, more like a shower at first, was now turning into a heavy and driving one unnaturally fast, so they rushed below the deck to wait for the end of it.

"_Do_ stay below, Lizzie", said Jack firmly. "I take the helm", said Jack after a minute of hesitation, suddenly remembering awkward words that Philip Fairwood said on their leave taking: watch out for the rain.

The sky began to cloud over quickly.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own POTC. Should it change, I let you know immediately.

**Chapter 7**

The sky was murky, and the rain was coming down in ice-cold torrents. The churning sea seemed dangerous and ominous. The gloom around the ship deepened with every second, plunging the ship into darkness. The waves were tossing the ship about mercilessly.

Jack was standing at the helm, trying to control the ship, but it was virtually impossible. The waves were breaking on the deck, and it was a task in itself not to let the waves wash him away.

Elizabeth could hardly keep from going up the stairs. The cook locked himself in one of the cabins, and did not care what may happen to anybody else. Elizabeth was standing near the stairs, holding on to the banister, and listening to the wind, and the driving rain. She was trembling and terrified, and as she could not bear the tension any longer, she finally decided to go out on deck.

Outside, the sky was tenebrous. She was astonished at the sight of this sudden darkness, but nevertheless she struggled through the rain, calling the only name that could bring her peace.

She found Jack at the helm. He grabbed her towards him, as he noticed her, obviously displeased with her presence on the deck.

"I told you to stay below, Elizabeth!", he shouted through the roaring waves.

"I couldn't", she answered, turning her face towards him.

He looked at her, and hugged her close, holding her firmly with his one hand, clenching the helm with the other. She snuggled her face into his chest, and closed her eyes.

It seemed that the storm was never going to cease.

Suddenly, a lightning lit up the dark sky, and for one short moment, everything around glimmered in the rain. But the lightning did not disappear, instead it flew across the sky, and hit the mast, breaking it. And then the sky, and the sea grew dark again, but only for a split of a second; only to calm down as suddenly as it earlier suddenly churned up.

The horizon started to brighten, and it stopped raining. The sky was blue again, and the ocean as quiet as before.

"Is it over?", whispered Elizabeth.

"Aye. It seems so", said Jack, wrinkling his forehead, and looking around with suspicion.

"Why?", asked Elizabeth.

"I don't know, Lizzie. Neither why it started, nor why it ended. But it is over", he looked at her, regaining his cheerful smile.

The worst things could happen to Captain Jack Sparrow, but as soon as they were over, they were becoming mere inspirations for great stories to be told, and there was nothing frightening about them anymore.

Elizabeth and Jack were soaking wet. Water was dripping from Jack's hat, but it was hardly believable that a minute ago they were in the middle of a storm. The ocean was as calm as ever, and the sun was shining brightly up in the blue sky. As if nothing happened.

"I think I told ye to stay below, luv", said Jack rather peevishly, looking at her seriously, but still holding her as firmly as if there still was some danger around.

"I thought it was more like guidelines...", she smiled timidly, making no effort to loosen his embrace.

They had their eyes fixed on each other, and no words seemed to be necessary. They must have looked silly from outside, just standing motionlessly and speechlessly, having their eyes riveted to each other, as if under a spell.

Jack could not recall a moment like this in his past. His world used to be so noisy and crowded, filled with laughter, joyful yelling, and void-filling conversations about... he did not even remember about what. He hardly remembered any words, any faces. Maybe the reason for this was that he did not look carefully enough. Maybe nobody looked carefully enough at him either. There were people who liked him. There were people who enjoyed his company, people who, in a way even missed him sometimes; perhaps. But there was absolutely nobody who would just stare at him silently for five minutes.

He slowly ran his hand across Elizabeth's face, to make sure she was real. But she was real. She shivered under his touch, as he gently brushed her lips with his rough fingertips, observing with curiosity how her eyes were becoming hazy. And yet it was the simplest gesture he could think of.

He leaned towards her, feeling her quickened breath on his face, gazing at her steadily.

Elizabeth was looking into his dark, enigmatic, hypnotizing eyes, and feeling guilty at her inability to do anything to stop him, to prevent him from doing whatever he was doing, if he was doing anything. She was not quite sure what he was up to. Or maybe it was just her feverish imagination, and it was really nothing, apart from a gentle, very gentle touch, and...

She was already half-conscious when he kissed her. She just closed her eyes, and everything vanished. Everything except for him, and this overwhelming feeling of absolute happiness, completeness which was flowing through her body, giving her an impression that it all could not be real. She got lost in the kiss, she got lost in Jack, and maybe it was all wrong, but she could not and did not want to fight this feeling. He kissed her as ardently as she could have ever imagined it possible, yet, with such a gentleness as can only be the result of something more than fancy, of something more...

She sighed softly when he broke the kiss, and opened her eyes with difficulty. He was looking away, frowning. She needed a few seconds to regain her senses, and only then she saw what he was looking at. And she heard what he must have heard. A noise. A shouting noise. Somebody was shouting and screaming.

She followed his eyes and saw the cook jumping up near the railing and shouting some unrecognizable words. The cook. She forgot all about him. Yes, the cook. And the Black Pearl. Isla de Dolor. The reality came back to her.

"What is _he_ doing?", Elizabeth asked, perplexed.

"No clue, luv", answered Jack with some resignation.

The cook suddenly turned around, and as he noticed them staring at him with confusion, he shouted towards them:

"The ship is sinking! There is a gigantic hole below!"

Elizabeth and Jack looked around astonished. Indeed, the ship was rocking rather unsteadily, and it felt weird under their feet.

"But there is a ship behind us!", continued the cook in a loud voice. "I think they noticed me!"

"They surely did", agreed Jack rather maliciously. "I check below", he said to Elizabeth, and walked down the stairs.

Not too far away from them, a ship with white sails was clearly visible. Jack, coming back from below deck, sadly confirmed the words of the cook. The ship was, indeed, sinking. They took what was necessary, that is the maps, and the wooden box from Philip Fairwood, as well as some water, and food, and got into a longboat, bound to wait for the approaching ship, as there was no land in sight.

It is a fine event to be rescued, in the middle of the ocean, by a passing ship. But the joy over the happy coincidence soon vanished, when Jack and Elizabeth climbed aboard the ship, and saw the faces, that looked decidedly _too_ familiar.

"How did they get here that fast?", whispered Jack to Elizabeth, sincerely surprised.

"No clue, love", she answered quietly in a faltering voice, looking rather blankly at her father's explicitly annoyed facial expression.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Disney still owns POTC.

**Chapter 8**

The cook was very surprised to see Governor Swann, and of course did not missed the opportunity to mention to him what he was told about the Governor's apparently prolonged stay on Tortuga, and his entrusting of the ship to his daughter (if _she_ was his daughter), and her fiance (if _he_ was her fiance).

At the word fiance, both the Governor, and Will, who just appeared on the deck, shuddered.

"It's good that your ship hasn't been damaged by the storm!", exclaimed the cook cheerfully.

"What storm?", asked Will, looking at him questioningly.

As it turned out, nobody on this ship experienced or noticed any storm, or even rain, and although it seemed incredible, the topic was quickly dropped, as it was not of the main interest in these particular circumstances.

Elizabeth wondered how did her father and Will give the pursuit that quickly, catching them almost immediately. But there was yet the mysterious storm, the thought of which gave her shivers. How could it be that the ship which was just behind their ship, took no notice of it? Did it happen only to them? Why would it?

She felt Jack taking her by the hand. Did he intended to run away again? Unlikely. They were aboard a ship. Unambiguously trapped, this time. But it seemed that he just wanted to hold her hand, and she let him, even though the gesture was making her father even more angry.

"That'd be enough", he said with a sigh. "Arrest him", he ordered, and two soldiers approached quickly.

"What for?", exclaimed Elizabeth, shooting her father a desperate look.

"I don't believe we have time for enumerating all of the reasons. I may, however, assure you that there are even more reasons than necessary."

Elizabeth looked at Will, who tried to avoid her gaze. He kept miserably silent.

"Please, don't", she pleaded, looking at her father with tears in her eyes.

"Don't cry, luv, it's superfluous", whispered Jack. "I got used to it", he added aloud, as the two man attempted to handcuff him.

Her father looked at her without a word. As there seemed to be no better way to do it, Elizabeth, in one quick movement, grabbed Jack's pistol from his belt, and pointed it at two soldiers. One of them dropped the handcuffs in astonishment, but they both looked quite perplexed.

"Elizabeth!", exclaimed the Governor impatiently.

A smile flickered across Jack's face.

There was something in the way Jack was looking at Elizabeth that irritated Will. Some kind of possessive attentiveness in his eyes, which meant that she was his, that he knew everything about her, that he knew every piece of her soul.

Will was watching the scene almost absent-mindedly. He knew he should at least dislike Elizabeth. It was (was it?) so obvious that she did not love him anymore. She ran away to find Jack, and it was him, with whom she wanted to be. Yet, he could not stop loving her. He did not want to let her go. The more elusive she was becoming, the more he wanted her to stay with him. Besides, it was not her fault. It was all Jack's fault. He could not blame her for being naive, for being easily taken in by his tricks.

"Elizabeth, do not deteriorate the situation", said the Governor almost angrily. "Put it away."

"Careful, Lizzie. It's loaded", whispered Jack into her ear.

"I hope it is", she said quietly, finding the closeness of his face, which was only inches from hers, strangely distracting.

She considered it dangerously odd, that in a moment like this, in a difficult situation, while she is pointing a pistol at some people, she can think about anything else but Jack; anything but Jack and his kisses.

"Alright", Governor Swann finally gave in with a sigh, fearing that Elizabeth might be, in fact, capable of doing something absurd and irresponsible at the moment. "But he will go ashore in the nearest port. What's the nearest port?", he asked one of the sailors, who were watching the awkward scene with surprise.

"Isla de Dolor", somebody answered.

Jack and Elizabeth started at the name.

"Sounds awful. But the refusal is not an option, aye?", said Jack, grinning, and gently taking the pistol from Elizabeth's hands.

"I want to speak with my daughter", said the Governor sharply. "Alone."

It annoyed Will that she looked at Jack, as if seeking his permission. But he kept telling himself to calm down, to calm down, and wait, until it will be over. It must be over. It will be over soon.

Suddenly, a certain idea flashed through his mind. It seemed rather ridiculous at first, but soon it materialized into a specific thought. It would not hurt to try. He will try, then. Who knows what may happen?...

The deck emptied quickly. Sailors got back to their work, and the Governor walked away, and went below deck with Elizabeth. Jack stood by the railing, looking at the ocean. It was quite a fortunate coincidence that they were going to drop them... to drop him... them on Isla de Dolor. It was all as it should be in Captain Sparrow's perfect world: every disadvantage should be quickly turned into an advantage. Jack felt the coldness of his coat, which was still wet. He recalled the storm, and was thinking about it for a moment, but then his mind turned to what happened _after_ the storm... He closed his eyes, remembering the sweetness of...

"What do you want from her?", suddenly a voice sounded, as if out of nowhere.

Jack turned around, displeased with the interruption. Will took a few steps forward, and stood next to Jack, by the railing, avoiding looking him in the eye. There was a curious anxiety on his face, as if he was about to do something difficult, unpleasant, yet necessary.

"Aye. Mr. Turner", acknowledged his presence Jack, turning his face to the sun, waiting for Will to point a sword at him in his usual manner.

"I asked you a question", Will said decidedly, without, however, bringing forward any weapon.

"Did I answered it?", Jack gave him an inquiring look.

"No."

"So I thought", said Jack turning away.

"Perhaps you do not even care", began Will after taking a deep breath, "that we already got married", he said petrified with fear, as if waiting for some kind of punishment after having lied for the very first time in his life.

He was surprised on how easy it in fact was. It felt strange, and bitter, but nevertheless it was not at all complicated. He just did not tell the truth. He just told a lie. But nobody knew that, so it did not matter. There was nobody in sight except for Jack.

Jack turned his gaze on Will, thinking at first that he misunderstood him. Will looked at him seriously, yet blankly, steadily returning his gaze. It was the most difficult part. And what if she told him about running away a week before...? Well, then it still would be her word against his.

Jack looked at him searchingly. Did he just said that he married Elizabeth? _His _Elizabeth?

"When?", asked Jack after a while, in a slightly strange voice.

Will could hardly believe his ears. And his luck. It seemed that Jack actually believed him, or at least was very close to believing in his words. He did not know how it was possible, but somehow it was really happening. Perhaps Elizabeth did not talk with Jack about the wedding at all. Perhaps she did not tell him _when_ she ran away. It seemed to be too good to be true, but still...

"A month ago", said Will simply, feeling more confident with every subsequent lie.

He did not want to look at Jack. He was afraid that the deception may show up in his eyes. Besides, he had nothing more to tell. He did not know what else he could say, so he walked away, repeating to himself in his mind to calm down, to calm down, to calm down...

Jack absent-mindedly followed Will with his gaze. What did he say? What did he just told him? Jack wrinkled his forehead, thinking intensely. It was not possible. She would have told him, wouldn't she? She could not just not tell him about _that_. She could not... Yet... Why not? He did not ask her. It would not even be a lie, if she did not tell him. She just failed to mention it. No, no. It was not possible. Not possible. No, no, no. **No**.


	9. Chapter 9

Spoiler: Yet another frustrating chapter...

Disclaimer: POTC belong to Disney.

**Chapter 9**

Jack was sitting on the deck in the back of the ship, when Elizabeth finally found him.

"Jack! Where have you been? I've been looking for you, Jack?", she knelt beside him, trying to attract his attention.

She was quite exhausted after a difficult conversation with her father.

Jack looked at her after a while, and asked calmly, with some reluctance in his voice:

"Why didn't ye tell me?"

She looked at him, baffled.

"What do you mean?", she asked with an uncertain smile.

"Why didn't ye tell me about the wedding?", he asked resentfully.

"What wedding?", she looked at him, blinking, not sure what he was referring to.

Then it dawned at her that Will might have told him that she ran away from home just a week before the planned wedding. She did not understand, however, why it should bother Jack that much, and why he should be angry with her about that. He knew she was going to marry Will before, and she probably would marry him more than five months ago, if it was not for Beckett arresting them on their wedding day.

But now it was all different. She had left everything behind, along with the wedding plans, and came to to find him. Of course, she did not mention that she ran away only a week before the ceremony, and she even did not mention the planned ceremony at all, but still, it just did not seem to her to be significant enough, as to make him treat her like he was treating her right now.

There was a glint of annoyance in his eyes, which she saw for the first time. She did not know this uncanny and serious part of him.

"I didn't think it was important", she said frankly.

Jack finally looked at her, and gave her most quizzical look.

"Ye did not think that was important, aye", he repeated almost ironically, and a certain smile appeared on his face.

And that smile sent shivers up her spine. She saw it before. A half-smile, half-sneer. The one with which she left him on the Black Pearl. _Then_.

She gazed at him, blinking, trying to figure out what was wrong. What has she done? There was something miserable in his eyes, yet he looked at her steadily, and searchingly, as if he has been looking for some kind of an answer, which she would gladly give him, if he would have asked her. But he asked no more questions. He just looked at her. He looked at her sadly.

Apart from being angry, however, Jack did think that it was somewhat unfair of him to behave like that towards her. After all, she did not commit any crime. She married somebody she was due to marry long before. Yet, she came to find him. She went all the way to Tortuga to find him. Then she said she loved him. Did he had a right to be jealous of the past? (Because if she came, it meant that she decided that Will belongs to her past). Could he be jealous of her husband? About her one abandoned (for she did abandon him, didn't she) husband? If she would chose to be jealous of _his_ past, she might probably need another life for counting. But these thoughts did not cheer him up somehow. He felt no better. He felt as if she lied to him, in a way.

"Jack..."

She was a pirate, after all. How could he blame her for omitting the inconvenient parts of the truth, for telling him only what she wanted to tell him, what she needed to tell him at the moment? Moreover, he still wanted her to be with him. But maybe it was better for her to go home, to go back to her life. Perhaps she was, in a sense, disappointed with her life, and that was why she went away to find him. But maybe it was nothing important. Maybe it was something she would regret in a month. Maybe she was just lost, and he should not be taking advantage of her being lost. If she married the whelp, she must have... felt something... towards him.

But the way she looked at _him._.. The way she kissed him... It was not fake. He would feel it, if it was. But then again, he did not feel anything bad coming, when she kissed him before chaining him to the mast...

Jack turned very gloomy, as he remembered the incident. It suddenly came back to his mind. Did he mind it after all, then?

"Jack...?"

Elizabeth stood up, and walked away, being on the verge of tears. She did not know what was happening, but whatever it was it hurt as anything else, it hurt more than everything. It hurt like hell.

Will held his breath, as he was watching the scene from concealment. He could hardly believe that it worked so well, this one lie. Perhaps one more would finally get things settled for good.

He followed Elizabeth below deck, and after a while knocked on the door, behind which she had disappeared. She did not tell him to come in, however in he came. She was lying on a bed, crying softly. She did not even notice his presence.

"Elizabeth", he said quietly.

She turned around, and stood up quickly, smoothing her dress and her hair in a nervous gesture. Her beautiful eyes were red from crying. It occurred to him that it was his fault that she was crying. Yet, he asked with sincere concern in his voice:

"Elizabeth, what are you crying about?"

"I'm not crying", she said rather brusquely, avoiding his eyes.

"Elizabeth, I...", he started, coming closer to her, and noticing, not without irritation, that she instinctively took a step backwards.

"I am sorry, Will", she said, making an effort to smile. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I know that this is no excuse, but... I am sorry."

"Let's forget all about it", said Will excitedly, reaching for her hand. "Elizabeth, let's forget about it. Let's start anew. We go back to Port Royal, and..."

She withdrew her hand from his grip almost immediately. Somehow she could not stand his touch. Not that she had any hard feelings for him, no. She still liked him, he still had a special place in her heart, in her life, in her memory. Actually, he was mostly like a memory right now. But she almost shuddered, when he touched her, as if it was something extremely unpleasant. And it felt unpleasant, in a way. She just could not stand being touched by anybody else but one person.

"Will... You don't understand", she said, looking at him seriously. "I said I'm sorry, but... it doesn't mean that I want to go back... And as a matter of fact, I don't."

He looked as if he wanted to interrupt her and say something, but she did not let him.

"I _decidedly_ don't", she whispered firmly."I'm sorry".

She kept saying that she was sorry because she really was. Besides, she did not really have anything more to tell him. She did not want to cause him any more pain.

Will did not understand. He saw her quarreling with Jack, she was crying because of... Jack, and yet she insisted on not going back home. It did not make sense. Or did it?

"You don't love him, do you?", he asked rather stupidly.

She looked at him, smiling sadly.

"Will", she said softly, "it is an answered question, don't you think?"

Will turned gloomy. He looked depressed, but it was only a mask that he was using to conceal his anger. He did not want to be doing this, but she made him do it, he thought.

"I feel sorry for you, Elizabeth", he said bitterly. "He's not worth it."

Elizabeth sighed, and looked away, wishing to end the conversation.

"He said", continued Will, trying to keep his voice steady, "that he always knew he can win you easily."

Will discovered that it was much easier to lie, without thinking about lying. It was better to think about something else, and then lie almost absent-mindedly. Like that, it well-nigh did not feel like lying at all. He carried on, as he noticed that he caught her attention.

"What are you talking about?", she asked with a grimace.

"I'm only repeating his words", he said coldly. "He said that your father and I should not bother with the pursuit, because he was going to send you back to Port Royal anyway. After a night or two...", he added, feeling his gorge rising.

He felt awful, as he noticed Elizabeth turning pale. But it was too late. He has gone too far. The truth did no matter anymore. He just wanted her back, he wanted her love back; whatever the costs.

"He couldn't have said it", she whispered with disgust and disbelief.

"But he did", said Will, and feeling unable to endure any more questions, he headed for the door. "Think it over, Elizabeth. For him... you're just a plaything", he said closing the door behind him.

As he closed the door, he sighed deeply. It was over. He did what he could. Now, he just had to wait and see what happens. Whether it will be for him and her a new beginning, or a definite end.


	10. Chapter 10

_Thanks to all my dear reviewers! You're diamonds, mates;)_

Spoiler: I am sorry, however... in this chapter, Will is still alive...

Disclaimer: I don't own POTC (if I remember correctly).

**Chapter 10**

After Will had left, Elizabeth slumped onto the bed. His words stunned her into silence. She could not collect her thoughts. Could Jack really say all of these? What for? Why? How? She was unable to think clearly.

He had said he loved her. He had said it. He did not have to, and yet he had said it. He must have been conscious that she was bewitched by him enough to let him do with her almost whatever he wanted, even without declaring that he loved her. She blushed, as she realized that. But it was true, she could not deny it.

It seemed painfully incredible that he might be so cynical. And even if he was, why should he admit it to Will? It flashed through her mind it was not true, but then it would mean that Will had lied to her, that he had deliberately deceived her, and that appeared to her to be virtually an abstract possibility. Will was not a liar. He never lied. He could not lie in such a vicious way. She was positive about that.

She sighed, and fell on the bed, her eyes closed. When she opened them again, they were full of tears.

"Oh Jack", she whispered, brushing the tears away, and staring blankly at the ceiling.

"What, luv?"

She started, and quickly straightened herself up on the bed. Jack was leaning against the closed door, looking at her thoughtfully.

"I didn't hear you...", she said softly.

He did not want to come to her, he did not want to see her, yet this feeling was stronger than his will, and eventually he had to come. He was beginning to realize that there were emotions which he could not control, and what he felt for Elizabeth definitely belonged to this new category.

Elizabeth looked at him with sparkling eyes. She forgot what she was thinking of.

Jack smiled at her faintly, feeling that all his anger, all his jealousy was thawing in her presence. Especially, that he could see in her eyes all these feelings he hoped she had for him. So how it was possible that...

She looked so fragile, so vulnerable, her hair in such a charming disarray that there was really nothing else to do but take her into his arms and never let go, never let go...

He took a few steps forward, and noticed that she must have been crying. He sat next to her, and propped her chin with his hand.

"Why are you crying, Lizzie?", he asked, looking at her intently.

"Why are you angry with me, Jack? About what? What for?", she asked in quivering voice.

"I should not", he said, taking his hand away. "I know I shouldn't. Ye did what ye had to do, or... what ye wanted to do", he added after some hesitation, staring at the floor. "Doesn't matter."

"What are you talking about?", asked Elizabeth, instinctively leaning towards him, so that when he lifted his head, they were facing each other directly, their lips inches away from each other's, their eyes fixed.

"Why did ye do this?", Jack almost pleaded.

"What?", she inquired, perplexed.

Jack sighed, and tried not to look at her. But it was even worse, for when he turned his head to look away, he could feel her warm breath on his neck.

"Why did ye... Why did ye...", he stammered with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "Why did ye marry him?", he finally managed to finish his question, and looked at her peevishly, at the same time however, also hardly keeping himself from pressing his lips against hers.

Elizabeth blinked several times, before she could give him any answer.

"Why did I _what_?!", she exclaimed, quite shocked.

Jack drew back a little, and looked at her, stupefied.

"Why did ye... marry him?", he repeated with a doubt in his voice, as a merry thought crossed his mind. "Because ye did, didn't ye?"

"I did not do such thing!", said Elizabeth, frowning indignantly.

Jack stared at her with a blank expression on his face, until a faint smile flickered across his lips, changing quickly into a roguish one, and then disappearing again, as he muttered under his breath with astonishment:

"Bugger. Little lying bugger!..."

"Beg pardon?!"

"Not ye, luv", explained Jack quickly with a smirk.

"Will...", she guessed, thinking about what Will had said that Jack had told him.

"Aye", nodded Jack. "But I have a feeling that we could change the topic now", said Jack, looking and feeling completely relaxed again, as the situation had luckily and conveniently clarified itself.

He lifted her hand to his lips, and kissed her gently.

"But you did believe him", said Elizabeth, slowly withdrawing her hand from his.

Jack looked at her questioningly.

"You don't trust me", she stated sadly, looking as if she was about to start crying again.

"I do trust ye, Lizzie", said Jack almost immediately, brushing her hair off her face.

"Somewhere deep inside you don't, if you believed him...", she insisted, unconsciously stealing for the touch of his hand on her face. "And _I _did not believe in what he said about you...", said Elizabeth, idealizing slightly her attitude towards Will's lies.

"An' what was that?", asked Jack, merely intrigued, more interested at the moment in running his hands slowly through her hair, and then down her neck.

"Well...", began Elizabeth, blushing, trembling, avoiding his eyes as much as she could; trying to concentrate on what she was saying.

Jack smiled, wrapping his arms around her. He thought that she looked lovely when she was embarrassed. Almost as lovely as when she was upset.

After some hesitation, Elizabeth decided to literally quote Will's words. She expected Jack to express some kind of indignation, but instead he seemed rather amused.

"A night or two...", he said thoughtfully. "Yes, I definitely couldn't have said that."

Elizabeth smiled, and wanted to say something, but then Jack added:

"Three or four, yes. But two?"

"Jack!", she exclaimed angrily.

He put his hand over her lips in order to silence her, and slowly leaning towards her, began to kiss her delicately, tenderly, planting kisses on her eyelids, on her cheeks, on her neck.

"As we have bravely defeated a crisis that was about to ensue between us, luv", he whispered, looking steadily into her eyes, "some kind of a reconciliation seems to be necessary..."

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows, putting a defensive look on her face, wondering whether he could hear her heart beating furiously in her chest.

"We did not really argue, so how come we need a reconciliation?", she asked with a grimace.

"Well, a reconciliation needs not an explanation but it does yield for a gratification that could reconcile and explain the reasons for reconciliation in the first place", said Jack matter-of-factly.

"I don't understand a single word, Jack", whispered Elizabeth meekly, pressing her lips against his.

"But ye've got the meaning right, luv", said Jack, grinning, and promptly returned the kiss.

Holding her in his arms felt strangely wonderful. As if everything else was of little importance. He used to think he needed so many things to be content. The sea, the _Pearl_, the adventure... The rum. And now he felt as if the only thing he needed was her. And the thought was somehow disturbing, dangerous; most definitely not pirate-like.

"What are ye thinkin' of, Lizzie?", he asked, noticing her slipping suddenly into a pensive mood, as she reluctantly broke the kiss.

"My father", she said sadly.

"Aye. That's right. Ye spoke with yer father... And what did yer dear father had to say 'bout yer evil pirate captain fiancé?"

Elizabeth gave Jack a searching look. Did he mean it? Or was his choice of words accidental?

"Nothing new, I guess", she said looking pensively into the distance. "He said... what Will said... that you're treating me like a plaything."

"A plaything?", the word amused Jack. He smiled mischievously, which upset Elizabeth.

"I'm not a plaything!", she declared firmly.

Although Jack usually considered their arguments amusing, at the moment he preferred a docile and timid Elizabeth over a temperamental and a frowning one, so he did what he had learnt to be the simplest way to tame her – he kissed her.

"Jack... Jack...", she tried to push him away, although not very resolutely. "We have to... Jack!..."

"Hush, plaything", he whispered with pretended arrogance.

"Jack, I'm serious!", she exclaimed, finally managing to draw back. "We have to come up with a plan!"

Jack rolled his eyes and sighed.

"I know", he nodded.

"I have an idea", said Elizabeth in a proud tone of voice.

Jack smiled roguishly.

"The plaything has a plan. Let's hear it", he ordered.

Elizabeth pouted her lips, and stood up quickly.

"Well, if you're not interested...", she started.

Will could not figure out what happened next, but nevertheless, soon, the words were audible again. He stood near the door, barely breathing, eavesdropping for couple of minutes now. He had come, because he wanted to speak to her again, but then he had overheard some voices, and begun to listen.

His plan had gone to pieces. They had quickly deconstructed all his lies. Many times he just wanted to walk away, to walk away from everything, to forget everything, but somehow he could not move. So he stood there, almost absent-mindedly, almost absent, trying to understand how all of that could have ever happened. What kind of mistake had he made? When exactly had he lost her?

As soon as he heard what they were planning, he ran away from the door; he ran away from them; he ran away frantically, with last, faint, feverish hope of shattering this ridiculous happiness, which for him meant only intolerable, and undeserved misery.


	11. Chapter 11

_Thank you, my dear reviewers! Your reviews always make my day:)_

Spoiler: I don't think Will's going to have more fans after this chapter... But it's really not my fault... Plot requirements:)

Disclaimer: Well, I do not own POTC. Yet:)

**Chapter 11**

Governor Swann was nervously walking along the deck, knitting his eyebrows, and trying to calm down his anger, his frustration, his sadness; all the emotions which were haunting him since Elizabeth's flight from home.

Or should he rather call it elopement?... The very thought gave him shivers. He was completely stunned when he found her in Tortuga. He hoped that she would not be there after all. He could not quite grasp the meaning of it all. Why was she doing this? She did not want to marry Commodore Norrington, a respectable man (as it were, back then at least...), because she did not love him. Yes, he could understand that. Although he believed in marriages in which love came with time, what he wanted the most was his daughter to be happy, and if she was certain she would not be happy with James Norrington... well, then he had no intention of making her marry the man against her will.

And then William Turner appeared. It never occurred to the Governor that his daughter may consider the boy as a proper husband. He was hard-working, polite, and he even proved to be impressively brave risking his life for Elizabeth, but the idea of having a blacksmith (turning pirate too...) as a son-in-law still did not appeal to him very much. By now, he did respect William Turner, he even liked him. But he would not wallow in his grief if Elizabeth should eventually decide not to marry the boy.

And apparently, she indeed did not want to marry him. She wanted to do something worse. It was incredible, her attitude, her attachment to this repulsive, revolting (he could not find the words which would be effective enough to express it), repugnant man; the pirate...!...

He recalled the conversation they just had minutes ago, and her words echoed painfully in his head. He was listening to her in disbelief, but she seemed extraordinarily serious, and even embarrassed, in a way (which only confirmed the truthfulness of her words), when she simply said that she loved _this_ man, that she loved Jack Sparrow. And not only loved, but loved "very much", "more than you can imagine", "more..."

He interrupted her at that point. Perhaps he should not have, because she really tried to be honest with him, and he should appreciate it; but nevertheless he could not stand all of this.

When she was a child, it has never crossed his mind that she would cause him any such troubles. He made every effort to enable her to become a proper, beautiful, and bright lady, taking care of her education, readings, manners, artistic skills, and what not. It seemed obvious that one day she would marry a fine gentleman, and live with him peacefully, and happily ever after. He always thought of her as of a princess, and wanted for her a fairy-tale-like life.

But apparently what Elizabeth wanted, was not a fairy tale. Or rather a peculiar type of a fairy tale, that he could not accept.

And yet, what terrified him most, was that look in her eyes, that look of...

"Sir..."

The Governor turned around, and saw Will, who looked depressed and strangely tired.

"I've been informed we're getting close to that island, Isla de Dolor, so...", said Governor Swann with a forced smile.

Will nodded absent-mindedly, and after a moment of awkward silence, told the Governor what he has just overheard. He even confessed all his lies, as he felt that there was really nothing more left to lose.

The Governor expressed his mild understanding for his actions, although he thought to himself that

it was not, after all, a good sign, as far as the boy's personality was concerned. Nevertheless, he listened to his words carefully. So they were going to pretend that they are angry with each other, and after Jack Sparrow will be put ashore, Elizabeth is going to follow him, clandestinely escaping from the ship.

It occurred to Governor Swann, that there was something strikingly naive in this plan, something... innocent, which made him, for the first time, question the rightness of his actions.

"I've a key...", said Will timidly, wondering what the Governor is thinking of at the moment, as he was very pensive.

"What key?", he inquired.

Will explained. The Governor nodded listlessly, and walked away.

Meanwhile, Jack and Elizabeth were still in the cabin, oblivious to what was happening outside. They were sitting on the bed, as there was really no other place to sit, although it appeared to Elizabeth to be rather a hazardous location in the company of Captain Jack Sparrow, especially considering her newly developed complete inability to concentrate in his presence. On the one hand it annoyed her, because she felt that it somehow limited her independence, but on the other, it felt terrifyingly sweet... which actually annoyed her as well.

Jack was holding her hand and smiling quizzically.

"What is it, Jack?", she asked with suspicion.

"Nothing", he replied innocently, staring at her steadily.

He really did not think about anything specific at the moment. It just felt funny for him to simply sit with a girl, looking at her, holding her hand, and watching the shades of colors sparkling in her eyes. Her eyes were brown, but he could see in them almost every color... or at least he believed so. _Oh, bugger._

"You should go, Jack", Elizabeth said reluctantly. "Or they will not believe..."

"I know", he nodded, and suddenly pulled her towards him. "I love ye, Lizzie, Elizabeth", she wanted to say something, but he brushed her lips with his fingertips to prevent her from doing so ."Let me finish, luv, because... Ye know it's quite difficult, and I can't say I've much of experience in that field..."

Elizabeth looked at him closely, studying his face, and this curious expression in his eyes, which she have not seen before.

"What I'm trying to say is...", he continued in a low, but firm voice, "I wanted to... I... I wish ye to... be with me, Lizzie", he said looking at her intently.

"I am... with you... right now... I think", answered Elizabeth somewhat confused.

"No", he countered. "I mean yes", he corrected himself quickly. "Actually... what I mean is... I want ye to be with me... forever."

Elizabeth gazed at him wide-eyed, utterly amazed. A smile flickered across her face, but she did not want to smile too early.

"Marry me", he whispered, staring at her with these dark, mysterious eyes that she fell in love with.

There was something of a promise in his voice. The promise of freedom, the promise of happiness, the promise of cool wind, burning sun, and starry nights; the promise of seeing his eyes every day, for eternity.

She was stunned into silence, and just stared back at him without uttering a word. They looked at each other in silence. In silence which was suddenly broken by somebody on the upper deck, shouting in a strong voice:

"Isla de Dolor!!!"

"I'll better go", said Jack quickly, heading for the door.

"Jack, wait!", Elizabeth caught his hand before he put it on the knob. "I..."

He looked at her hesitantly. She wondered whether he was only pretending, or perhaps was really not sure of the answer, which option, in case of Captain Jack Sparrow's well-known self-appreciation, seemed rather incredible.

"I will marry you", she whispered quickly with a faint smile, and opened the door for him, almost throwing him out of the room.

Then she leaned against the closed door, shut her eyes, and smiled to herself. She has never felt that happy before. Suddenly, everything around her was beautiful. The world was beautiful. There were so many days to come, and each of them with him, with his voice, with his look, with his smile...

And a year and a half ago she did not even know him. He was somewhere without her, without even knowing that she exists.

But _she_ knew that _he_ exists. She read stories about him. She smiled at the recollection. Little did she know then, that someday she will meet him, that she will fall in love with him...

Elizabeth sat down, feeling rather dizzy, regretting that she threw Jack out of the room. She did that out of the nervousness and excitement, and now, she wanted to run after him, but of course it would not be wise. They had to escape, yet. And that was the priority now.

Perhaps, if she would have listened carefully, she might have heard a key turning in the door's lock.

But she has lost herself in thought, and has not been listening to anything but her own thoughts.

On the other side of the door, Will slipped the key into his pocket, and slowly walked away.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: A personality quiz:)

Q.: POTC belong to: a) you b) me c) EITC d) Disney

Now check your personality type, depending on which answer you've chosen:

If you picked a) you are a dreamer; b) you are a nice dreamer; c) who are you?!; d) you are a realist.

**Chapter 12**

Jack stood by the railing, watching the ocean, and the land, which was not far away now. Isla de Dolor seemed to be bigger than he expected. It was high time to think about the Black Pearl and the crew in detail. In detail... But it was quite difficult to concentrate. She said yes. She said she will marry him. She said she loved him. She... Elizabeth... Lizzie... Mrs. Captain Jack Sparrow... Unconsciously, he kept smirking to himself. It was unimaginable. But above all... it was wonderful. Being with her, looking at her, holding her... Introducing her as his wife. Pirates do not have wives, but he did not care. He wanted every piece of her, every moment with her, every right to her. It was what it tasted like. It was what love tasted like.

"Where is my daughter?"

Jack quickly turned around to face the Governor, who looked at him steadily.

Jack expressed his lack of knowledge in this matter, explaining that they came upon a certain disagreement, which concluded in Elizabeth's wish to seeing his despicable face not ever again.

"Oh, really?", was the Governor's only reaction to this revelation. He just asked the previous question to confirm Will's words.

Jack noticed a slight irony in the Governor's voice, but ignored it, for he was too occupied with thoughts about _his bonnie lass, his Lizzie, his bride-to-be. _He enjoyed playing with these expressions, as it was something entirely new for him.

They will sail anywhere they want; anywhere _she_ wants. He just discovered that it was not really all that bad to think not only about what _he _wanted. He even had a feeling that it actually felt better to think about what _she_ wanted. He would be happy if only she was happy. _Oh, bugger, bugger..._

The Governor walked a few steps away, and looked at the sea. Did they really expect him to believe in this? Why? Why did she say she loved him? His thoughts wandered chaotically. It was going to be easy. Jack Sparrow will be put ashore, and they sail away with Elizabeth locked in the cabin.

And then?... What then?...

Jack was tempted to start a conversation with Governor Swann, but in these particular circumstances, when he had to pretend that he and Elizabeth broke up, it made little sense. He wanted to tell him... that he loved her. It might make him angry, true. But he wanted to make it clear that his intentions were sincere and transparent (which might be, accidentally, weird to believe, but still...). He wanted to say that she will be safe with him... Maybe someday there will come a moment to say all these. Someday.

"Drop anchor!"

The ship moored to a pier, and soldiers appeared on the deck, as requested by the Governor. He considered it rather striking that Elizabeth and _he _did not expect any interference in carrying out their little plan. It bothered him, for some reason. As if they were really in this lunatic state... this emotional state which cause people to believe that the world is wonderful and friendly. As if they _both_ were in this state... She said she loved him... And what if... what if he did too?... What if they really... do... love... each other...

"Governor Swann? Sir?"

The Governor looked up at a soldier who stood before him.

"Should we escort him now?"

But he was a pirate, and it was not a life for her. It was not the future she should have. And she shall forget him. She shall.

"Yes. Please. Do", he said indifferently.

"I guess, it's time to say good-bye", observed Jack with a smirk.

The Governor looked at him with a blank expression on his face.

"I guess it is", he said, and looked away. He did not understand this sense of guilt, that he began to feel. He did not want to feel it. There was really no reason to feel it.

Elizabeth sighed, when the ship came to a stand. It was time to go. She regretted she has not had enough time to write a letter to her father. She wanted to assure him once more that she knew what she was doing. That she really knew.

She hoped Jack remembered to take Philip Fairwood's wooden box with him. They did not know what was inside, but they may need it.

She stood up, and walked quickly to the door. She pressed the knob. She pressed it harder. She pressed it again. She shuddered.

"What's going on?", she whispered in disbelief.

No matter how many times and how hard she pressed the knob, the door remained closed. It was locked. It was locked from the outside.

"It can't be", Elizabeth kept pulling the knob, but it was in vain. She was locked; she was trapped. The cabin had only one small window. Too small to escape through it. She walked nervously around the cabin All she knew was that the ship, with her on board, is going to sail away soon. With her, but without Jack.

Meanwhile, Jack gracefully stepped on the pier, putting the hat on his head. He was observing everything out of the corner of his eye, trying to locate Elizabeth, trying to spot some sign of her. But he could not see anything. Maybe she was just being extremely careful, which was apparently good, and she was already out of the ship.

He looked at sailors weighing anchor, and the ship beginning to rock on the small waves, and getting ready to sail away. Jack began to look around, he looked at the water. Something was wrong.

He stood there, feeling quite ridiculous, just wrinkling his forehead, and dully staring at the ship, which was sailing away. That was it. Elizabeth was not here. She did not flee from the ship. He did not know why, but it was obvious that she did not. And all that he could do, was to stare at the bloody ship sailing away, apparently with her on board.

Just when he decided to do something, and began to look around in search of a boat of some kind, the sky started to cloud over. It was clouding over quickly. And he has seen this happening before.

But this time it was happening even faster. He saw the sea churning up, he saw the sky growing frighteningly dark, he saw the waves attacking the ship. And then a lightning crossing the sky, and the sea calming down again.

"It's a wonder there are still ships coming here", said an elderly man, appearing next to Jack on the pier. "It happens quite often. But nobody believes in it, unless they see it", he said thoughtfully, collecting his nets, and walking away disinterestedly.

But there was nothing to _see_, really. Because when the sky cleared up, and the sea calmed down, it was perfectly quiet, and absolutely peaceful, and everything was, as it was before.

Except for the ship.

Because the ship - was gone.


	13. Chapter 13

Since the previous chapter seemed to evoke a certain sense of sadness, I decided to update as fast as today:) (Not that this chapter's going to be a particularly happy one, but still...)

Disclaimer: Despite what they write in tabloids, I don't actually own POTC.

**Chapter 13**

A ship has disappeared. Again.

Jack stared at the ocean, while different thoughts were frantically rushing through his mind. The ship disappeared, and Elizabeth was on that ship. He tried to gather all the information he had. After all, he was in the place which was their destination. He only needed to find that man, that captain, Philip Fairwood's grandfather. It was clear that it was him who abducted the ship. Wherever he was, the ship must have been there as well. And the Black Pearl too. And Lizzie...

However, it was strange that when the storm attacked them for the first time, they somehow managed to escape, and their ship did not vanish. Why now it was different, and the ship has been taken, he did not know. But there was no time to lose, no time for useless reflections, so he turned around, and rushed towards the town to find out how he can locate the captain's concealment, and the ships that were missing.

He felt hollow inside. He has never felt like this before. Not even when he has lost the Black Pearl for the first time..., and for the second time..., and actually for the third time as well. He should know better. He should know that it was not going to work just like that.

Minutes ago he held her in his arms, and now he could not even see her. She must be frightened. She must be scared. She was alone. She was without him, and for her it was probably equal to being alone... As being without her was for him.

Jack walked into a tavern, the best place to gain valuable knowledge in small port towns like this one. The room was not very crowded, and not particularly noisy, unlike the similar places in Tortuga. Maybe the reason for this was, that it was not a pirate port after all. It looked rather grim and somewhat sad (if _sad _was the appropriate word for describing a tavern).

"I'm looking for somebody", said Jack addressing a bartender, who looked at him suspiciously.

The bartender stared at him indifferently, continuing drying the glasses in silence.

"And I need a drink", added Jack knowingly.

The bartender nodded approvingly.

Luckily, he happened to know the story of the captain in question.

"Captain Hatress. He lives in the other part of the island. We don't disturb him, and he doesn't disturb us. You see, not many people believe in this story anyway...that is unless they live here, or they witness an abduction. It's not like it happens very often, though."

"How can I find him?", asked Jack, grabbing his drink.

"Not the smartest idea, if I can make an observation", said the bartender, leaning over the counter.

"Maybe I'm not the smartest man. So?", insisted Jack.

The man looked at him searchingly for a moment, and then nodded knowingly.

"Ah. I see. You _are_ looking for somebody."

"Captain Harness. I think I had this already explained", observed Jack, slightly irritated.

"Not really", smiled the bartender. "If you want to find him, it means that he has taken somebody you want back, ain't that right?"

"And if it is?", asked Jack narrowing his eyes.

"Well if it is, then you may find it useful to acknowledge, that he only trades people for ships."

"I heard that much", said Jack grimly, recollecting the words of the cook.

"Well, then I hope you also heard that even that much he only does in theory."

"I need to find him", repeated Jack firmly.

"There is one man who escaped him, though", said the bartender after a while.

Jack looked up at him, with a hopeful glint in his eyes.

"He came up just this morning, and is drinking since then. He said he escaped from _there_, but maybe he's just some kind of a lunatic. I don't know. I haven't seen him around before, though", explained the bartender, directing Jack to a small table in the corner of the room.

By the table, accompanied by an enormous number of empty mugs and glasses, sat a man with his head resting on the table, and his both hands clutching two last full glasses. He was muttering something under his breath.

Jack looked at him carefully, as he came closer to the table. It was quite difficult to believe, but no mistake could be make, especially when the man lifted his head, and smiling neither consciously, nor knowingly, exclaimed weakly:

"Good Lord! Jack!", he said, although in eyes there was no sign of a _conscious_ recognition.

"I think ye've had enough to drink for today", observed Jack wrinkling his forehead, "Master Gibbs."

"I-I escaped! I escaped from _there_!", announced Gibbs, attempting to drink, but Jack lowered his hand back to the table.

"That's very fortunate, because accidentally if ye escaped from _there,_ ye must know where the _there_ is", said Jack with a thoughtful smile.

He was glad to see that Gibbs was alright, for his own sake, and for the sake of others. If he escaped, it meant that it was possible to escape. It was enough to put Captain Jack Sparrow in a fairly good mood. All he needed, was a possibility. Possibilities can work miracles.

Gibbs looked at him, blinking.

"I don't want to go back", said Gibbs pleadingly. "I told ye. I just _escaped_", he said in a faltering voice.

Jack rolled his eyes. The man _was_ drunk.

"We're going back right now. It's an order. I'm the captain", said Jack, helping Gibbs to stand up.

"Ye're the captain of the Black Pearl!", exclaimed Gibbs knowingly, looking around with some hesitation. "But it does look different."

"What?"

"The Pearl!", replied Gibbs, still looking around the room. "I can't see the sails. Where are... where are the sails, Jack?"

"Oh bugger", muttered Jack angrily.

He left Gibbs standing unsteadily outside, near the tavern's door, and walked away. He came back within a minute with a bucket of cold water in his hand. It was not going to help much, but it could help a little.

"Sorry mate", whispered Jack, and in one quick movement emptied the bucket.

There was however no reaction on Gibbs' side. He stood motionlessly, with his eyes wide open, water dripping from his clothes, and his face. After a while he began to move, and blink.

"Jack!", he said in a low voice, but now he really seemed to acknowledge Jack's presence.

"That's better", stated Jack putting the bucket away.

"How did ye get here?"

"How much did ye drink?"

"Not _too_ much", said Gibbs defensively. "I'll be alright soon", he added hesitantly, wrinkling his forehead. "But..."

"Ye do remember the way back?", asked Jack, looking at him seriously.

"Aye. The way back", repeated Gibbs thoughtfully, considering the words for a moment.

"And who's going to pay?", said the bartender, suddenly appearing in the tavern's door.

Jack and Gibbs looked at each other questioningly.

"Him", said Jack, pointing somewhere behind the bartender's back.

The bartender turned around, but there was nobody behind him.

"Well I can't see an...", he started turning back to Jack and Gibbs.

But they (obviously) were no longer there.


	14. Chapter 14

**Thank you for all the reviews!** They made me update today:) (Even though I should be writing a term paper right now... / And I guess I will have to do that anyway:( ...as soon as I press this "add a chapter" button:)

Disclaimer: Disney owns POTC.

**Chapter 14**

It was dark and quiet. Terrifyingly quiet. As if the world has ended. The silence was almost piercing. Elizabeth opened her eyes, but she could not see anything. She waited a few moments for her eyes to get used to darkness, so she could at least see some shadows of things, but, oddly, she still could not see anything, not even her own hand, when she lifted it close to her face. She sat motionlessly, listening. She did not know, whether she was alone, or not, and, most importantly, she did not know where she was.

The last thing she remembered, was the storm, the tormented sea she could see through a small window in the cabin. The cabin from which she could not escape, because somebody had locked the door. Somebody. It was not difficult to guess who could that be.

She tried to think about Jack. Jack. Somehow, the fear she felt was ceasing when she began repeating his name in her head. _Jack. Jack._ _Jack._ She wanted him to be here with her right now, she wished he was here, but simultaneously she was paradoxically glad that he was not, because it meant that he was safe.

She was worrying about her father. If anything should happen to him, it will be her fault. She felt that somehow she failed him. Not because she loved Jack, not because she decided to give her life to him, to lay it in his hands, to give up the past, to give up the present, and the future – the future that her father intended for her. But because she failed to explain it all to him. Her explanations did not reach him. She could not make him understand what she felt. She wished he could understand it. Someday.

Elizabeth was afraid to move, or speak. She was afraid of this engulfing darkness, which seemed to be strangely alive. Alive? She did not know why this word came to her mind. What she meant, was that this darkness was not simply caused by the lack of light, but it has been created almost deliberately, it was designed for a reason, and it had some meaning.

She was quite sure she was not on the ship anymore. What could have happened to the ship? And the storm... Exactly the same, as before. It was the same kind of a sudden tempest that attacked the ship on which she was earlier with Jack. But then, it did eventually calm down; unlike this time. Now it was different. Why?

Why the world always had something in store for her? She was so happy, she did not want anything more than this one man, who loved her, whom she loved, who miraculously asked her to marry him...

She did not even notice when she started crying. She just could not stop the tears, thinking about him, thinking that she could not be with him right now. That she has lost him, like too many times before. But now, at least, it was not her fault.

Then it occurred to her, that he must have seen what happened to the ship, as he was waiting for her, watching carefully, surely wondering why she did not show up. He will do something. He will find her... wherever she is.

Suddenly, a ray of light appeared, and it grew larger, and larger, almost blinding her, but she managed to notice, that it came from the door, which she of course could not see before. The door opened slowly, and she saw a shadow of the person who opened the door. She narrowed her eyes, which hurt from the sudden brightness, and looked away, accidentally noticing somebody lying on the floor not far away from her. He was unconscious and looked familiar. She recognized Will.

Quite astonished to see him, she failed to acknowledge who opened the door. She just heard somebody shutting the door again, but the room was not dark anymore. The person who opened the door left a small lantern, and a pitcher of water by the door.

She looked at Will hesitantly. She knew she should wake him up, but she did not really feel like doing it. Once he gains consciousness, she will have to speak with him, and look at him, and she did not want to after what he had done, what he had said.

She was aware of the fact, that in a way it was probably (at least partly) her fault. But it did not matter all that much after all. Because if he had not locked the door... She would have been right now on land; with Jack. _Jack. Jack._

She brushed the tears away from her face, and carefully stood up. The room was completely empty, and rather small, with dark walls, and a dark, high ceiling. No windows.

Elizabeth walked around, examining every detail, but there was really not much to examine. She sighed and sat down on the floor again. Will was lying motionlessly as before. Strangely, it did not even cross her mind to check, whether he was alive, but somehow she was sure he was.

But she did not want Will; she wanted Jack.

_Jack. Jack. Jack..._

* * *

"Jack!", shouted Gibbs, trying to catch up with his captain, who walked as fast as ever, rushing forward, hardly paying any attention to anything, except the path leading through the gloomy forest filled with a strange kind of unpleasantly cool mist. "Jack! Remember it's me... who knows... the way", he observed timidly, trying to catch his breath.

"There is no time for complaints", said Jack, frowning.

"Who's complaining? I just...", he waived his hand dismissively, deciding to change the topic. "Alright. So ye're saying that he was the first captain of the Black Pearl?"

"Aye."

"And it was some kind of a spell, that brought the Pearl back to him after a hundred years, I understand", said Gibbs in an attempt to organize everything that Jack had told him so far.

"Aye."

"But he's also taken, for a different reason the ship on which ye got here, aye? And it is what he usually does, he takes a ship, kidnaps some people from it, and then makes the rest of the people voluntarily give up the ship to him, in exchange for the hostages", Gibbs seemed to be almost fascinated by the story, although he was not dramatically convinced whether it made a lot of sense.

"Aye", Jack wrinkled his eyebrows at the word "hostages".

"But the hostages... do not come back?..."

Jack suddenly stopped, and turned around.

"Do we really need to discuss it in detail right now?", he asked with irritation.

Gibbs looked at him baffled. He has rarely seen Jack in such a mood. It was obvious that he was not fond of losing the Pearl all the time (probably not a good statement to be stated aloud...), and he must have been worrying about the fate of the crew as well, but somehow it just seemed not to be enough for triggering such frustration. Because it was frustration, this expression in his eyes that was so unlike him. Something _more_ was wrong. But what could it be?

"What is it, Jack?", he decided to ask, still being quite under the influence of the drinks he had, and therefore having much more courage to ask blunt questions.

"Nothing", replied Jack mechanically, and continued walking.

"Jack", insisted Gibbs, running after him.

Jack rolled his eyes, and looked at Gibbs peevishly.

"Elizabeth was on that ship, alright?", he said impatiently.

"Elizabeth?", repeated Gibbs confusedly. "So _they_ eventually decided to go sailing with us?", he asked carelessly, but suddenly fell quiet, as he noticed a particularly hard look that Jack gave him.

"I said _Elizabeth_."

"Aye", nodded Gibbs, trying to figure out what exactly was wrong with his question. "And what would _she_ be doing there?", he asked hesitantly.

"Marrying me", shouted Jack over his shoulder.

"Aye!", exclaimed Gibbs cheerfully, but then, hit by the actual meaning of what he heard, he stopped short, and stared at Jack, who was quickly making his way through the forest, almost disappearing from view.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Apparently, Disney still owns POTC.

**Chapter 15**

"You have got the ship. What else do you want?", asked Governor Swann looking desperately at the man before him. He couldn't quite make out his face in the dim light of a large room.

"I don't want anything else", replied the man simply, probably smiling.

"So where are they? You said you will send them back", he was gradually feeling more and more hopeless, as all his efforts proved continuously useless.

"I didn't say anything of the kind", he said almost disgustedly. "I said that you can bring them back, if you want."

"I do want", said the Governor in a low voice.

"So do", the man shrugged his shoulders indifferently, and turned away, as if intending to leave the room.

"How?", whispered Governor Swann with an effort.

The man stopped, as if considering something for a moment.

"Why are you doing this?", suddenly asked the Governor, misinterpreting the man's behaviour, and taking it for a good sign. "You take away some people at random, without any reason, what for?"

The man turned around, and as he was approaching, the Governor could see his face, or rather something that once must have been his face, before it turned into a dark, marked by scars mask, with the pair of piercing, unnaturally shining, dark eyes in it.

"Always the same", he said through his teeth. "People always say the same thing, that they want their beloved back, that I am cruel. They prefer to accuse me instead of proving me wrong. Because they cannot prove me wrong, but that's a different story", he added with an evil grin. "The fact is", he continued looking intently at the Governor, "that they can't do anything, because the reason for which they would do that, does not exist."

"I don't understand", said Governor Swann, trying to gaze at him steadily, trying not to be afraid.

"Love", he hissed. "It does not exist. And without it, nothing can be done", he turned around, ignoring further questions, which the Governor attempted to ask, and in no time he was out of the room.

"Elizabeth?", whispered Will, finally going back to the sheer reality, and slowly getting up.

"No. Barbossa", replied Elizabeth with annoyance, resting her chin on her hand.

Will stood up, then, apparently not feeling too well sat down again, and looked around in amazement.

"What is that? What's happened?", he asked, finally focusing on Elizabeth.

She was looking at him like she has never looked at him before. He knew her moods, and her temper, but it was never directed towards him, and he was not really used to it. And now she was clearly upset. She was angry. She was angry with him, as there was nobody else in the room. So it must be him. Still, his head hurt, and he could not quite remember why she should be angry with him.

"What's happened?", he asked timidly.

She did not answer; just stared at him disapprovingly.

Oh, yes. He remembered. He locked her in the cabin, and then... Then there was a storm, and... everything went dark. And now they are here. He looked around. But where are the others? They were here alone.

"I'm sorry, Elizabeth", he said in a low, but firm voice. "I didn't mean to..."

"Yes, you did", she interrupted him sharply.

"No, I didn't", he insisted. "Let me explain..."

"I don't need your explanation", she said, looking away.

"Elizabeth..."

"It's Miss Swann", she cut in.

"Since when?", he asked, this time feeling slightly annoyed himself.

"Since you locked me up in that cabin! Since you lied to me!", exclaimed Elizabeth with a frown.

"I lied to you", repeated Will bitterly. "Well, I did not think that lying is this very vice which disqualifies people in your eyes", he observed almost ironically. "There are some people out there who lie all the time, and it does not seem to bother you that much", he added feverishly.

Elizabeth blinked nervously, trying to find a good reply to this.

"I thought _you_ would never lie", she said after a moment of silence, unable to come up with a better answer.

Will looked at her seriously. He could not understand why he still loved her. Did he still love her?

He was confused. There was something in her that was making him weak, but was it love? Not her love, of course; but his love for her. But then again, was it still love?

She represented all his dreams, his past, his hopes. Initially, he did not even dream about being with her. She lived in a different world, of which he could barely take a brief look. But then, the dream came true. She cared for him... for a while. For a while he hoped that she loved him. Until he saw her kissing Jack on the Pearl. Then it was over. It did not matter that she did that to rescue the crew, to rescue him. It did not matter that she sacrificed, and then abandoned Jack. There was something in her eyes, something sincere, for a change, something that he has not seen before: a sparkle, a flame, a fire. She might have left Jack to die on the Pearl, but she took his soul with her. His soul was within her, from that day on. Will saw it in her eyes on that day, and later tried to forget it. But now he painfully clearly saw it again. As if it was not Elizabeth, but Jack who looked at him through her eyes right now.

"I thought you were going to marry me... in what would be now how many? Five days, I suppose", he said thoughtfully.

Elizabeth bit her lower lip, suddenly feeling uncomfortable; feeling that the sense of guilt, that Jack made her forget almost entirely, was now coming back to her.

"You'll be never happy with him", announced Will with an irritating conviction in his voice.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, and stood up determined to get out from this room at all cost. She did not wish to be listening to Will's grim predictions concerning her future. The future that he could not possibly have any idea of. Because it was her future. Her future with Jack. _Jack. Jack._ He could not possibly have any idea of how it felt, how it felt like... She felt like crying at the sudden recollection. His arms... His arms wrapped around her not long time ago. She could almost feel his lips on hers... Elizabeth shivered. She did not want to cry in Will's presence. She turned around, and went on strolling along the room without any good reason.

"Maybe he didn't _say_ what I said he did", continued Will, as he stood up, and followed Elizabeth with his gaze. "But I'm sure that it is exactly what he _thinks_."

Elizabeth gave him a disdainful look.

"You've no idea what he thinks", she whispered firmly.

"Neither have you", said Will, turning away from her.

"Perhaps we should better focus on getting out from this place", she suggested, raising her eyebrows.

"I should think you'd be rather waiting for being miraculously rescued by..."

Elizabeth covered her ears with her hands, which was rather an infantile behaviour, but she just could not stand Will's remarks concerning Jack. She could hardly believe, that several days ago she actually wanted to marry Will. He did not know her. He simply did not know her. And it was not something that could be explained, or learned. They were different. They were just different.

Suddenly, the door opened, and somebody walked in.

"You're free to go", said the man with a strange, frightening face, and eyes glistening in the dim light.

After a minute of hesitation, Will decided to obey first, and he slowly approached the door. The man let him out. Elizabeth observed the scene carefully, and was not sure whether it was at all a good idea, but having the necessity to choose between trying to go out, and staying in the windowless room, she decided to take the risk of the first possibility.

Just when she was about to pass through the door, the man took a quick step forward, and stood in the doorway, blocking her way.

"But _you_... are not", said captain Harness walking out, and slamming the door behind him; leaving Elizabeth now eventually completely alone.


	16. Chapter 16

_Thank you for reviewing!_

Spoiler: Angst!/I was so scared & could hardly proofread this chapter.../

Disclaimer: I don't own Jack, Elizabeth, Will...

**Chapter 16**

"How far is it?", asked Jack impatiently.

"I don't... I don't know... exactly...", gasped Gibbs, utterly exhausted.

Jack was about to ask, whether he was sure they were going in the right direction, but then remembered that there was an easier way to ensure that. He pulled out his compass, and opened it. It was spinning around for less than a few seconds, and then it stopped unequivocally and decidedly, pointing into the direction in which they were heading.

"Good", muttered Jack, and continued walking.

Gibbs was too tired to ask questions, moreover he was aware that even if he asked certain questions, he probably would not receive satisfactory answers. He was virtually taken aback by what he heard. He could not decide which part of it actually stunned him most: Jack marrying Elizabeth, Elizabeth marrying Jack, Jack marrying at all... well, perhaps, even Elizabeth marrying at all was not all that obviously plausible possibility as well, after all. Of course, taking it was all true. But maybe it was some kind of a metaphor... He was not sure, but he did not dare to make any further inquiries, seeing Jack being really vexed, and trigger-happy at the moment. Besides, he still did not feel too well, and running through the forest did not improve the way he felt.

Finally, they reached what seemed to be their destination. A high, dark mountain stood below the level of the forest, near the beach and the dark-blue ocean. Jack looked more carefully (as Gibbs has suggested) down the steep cliff, and saw not only the darkness of the ocean, but also the reason of it: a long row of ships floating aimlessly on its surface. The majority of them looked more like abandoned wrecks than actual ships. Their sails were ripped, their masts broken. It looked like a graveyard. A ghastly graveyard of ships.

"You said we were free to go!", shouted Will pulling out his sword, and pointing it at captain Harness, who looked at him rather disinterestedly.

It crossed Will's mind that it was strange he still should have his sword with him. However, since he after all had it, it did not hurt to try and use it...

"I can say whatever I want. And you can believe whatever you want", said the man, walking away across the dimly lit room.

It was difficult to judge the size of the room by its appearance. It did not seem to be large, however, the faint light did not make it possible to see where it ended; if it ended at all.

"Let her go", said Will, not really knowing what to say.

The man turned around, but Will could not make out his facial expression. Although he had a feeling that the man smiled.

"So it's you", he stated casually. "I was wondering which of you it was", he said coming closer.

"Why do you care? If she doesn't love you."

Will listened to him, grimacing. He did not understand what the man was saying, he did not understand the meaning of it.

"And how can _you _know it?", he asked, wondering at the same time why he did not use his sword as he should yet.

"Because I've taken the ship", explained captain Harness looking at him intently.

Will raised his eyebrows indicating the failure to grasp the logical connection between those statements.

"I can take every ship, unless... there is mutual love on board", he explained with artificial irony in his voice. "Therefore your love presumably lacks... reciprocity. Doesn't it?", he added, seeing Will's confused facial expression.

"What do you want?", asked Will in a low voice, sensing that there was more to this whole affair, than he initially thought.

"Finally. A useful question", he said with a strange smile flickering across his frightening face.

Will stared at him searchingly, still holding his sword, but not seeming to acknowledge it anymore. He tried to figure out what was going on, but somehow he could not. There was something appalling in this man's eyes. Something frightening. Something... that he knew.

"You do not behave very friendly", said captain Harness, glancing at the sword. "And you're lucky I'm being currently in such a fine mood", he said with a sigh.

Will hesitantly lowered the sword.

"I'm quite content now... I've got my ship back... My ship, my Black Pearl, which should rest in peace along with me, but has been raised from the depths by some bloody blackguard on the request of another bloody blackguard."

Will looked away, narrowing his eyes in an effort to comprehend what he was hearing.

"One of them dead", said the captain in a strangely blank voice, gazing at Will steadily. "Or even more than that..."

Will looked up at him.

"Because somebody has at last conveniently pierced his heart..."

Now Will knew. The man was talking about Davy Jones, for some reason. For some reason, he seemed to know who pierced Davy Jones's heart.

"I wonder whether said _somebody _knows why, despite doing said piercing, he did not inherit Jones's bleak fate?"

Will felt suddenly very cold, as if his blood was freezing, circulating the coldness throughout his body.

"And to whom he owns thanks for that. Any idea?", he hissed quietly.

"What do you want?", repeated Will with the mixture of irritation and anxiety in his voice.

"I mentioned two bloody blackguards. You stabbed the heart of one of them already", he said catching Will off guard with this sudden frankness. "Perhaps you could do the same with the second."

"Jack!", whispered Gibbs cautiously. "There is somebody standing by the entrance... See 'im?"

"Aye", answered Jack, being lately quite laconic in his answers.

They were hiding behind the rocks, near the "entrance", which led inside the dark, almost black mountain. They saw somebody standing close to it, from time to time walking around in a nervous manner, but could not see who it was, because it was growing dusk already.

"Maybe it's a guard...", suggested Gibbs without much conviction. "But I haven't seen any before..."

"We'll see", muttered Jack, grabbing his pistol, and slowly leaving the concealment.

Jack carefully and noiselessly made his way towards the mysterious figure, which was possible, because the person was standing now with his back turned to the side from which Jack was coming.

"Stay calm!", said Jack in a low but firm voice, pressing the pistol to the man's back.

The man raised his hands, surrendering. Jack smiled quite content with this immediate submissiveness.

"Turn around!", he ordered in a menacing voice.

The man slowly turned around.

Jack's eyes widened in surprise. And although he put his pistol away as fast as he could, it was perhaps not fast enough to avoid an apparently unfortunate impression that it must have made on Governor Swann anyway...


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: POTC belong to Disney.

**Chapter 17**

Elizabeth Swann was a woman of action.

Unfortunately, there was little action to be performed in a rather dark, empty room, deprived even of windows. She did not know what to do. But she wanted to do something.

She had the entire room already examined, as well as the door which proved locked and immovable.

She was so frustrated, that the fear vanished altogether, and now she just felt some kind of dull anxiety, but mostly irritation. The situation began to annoy her. She could not feel any tangible danger, and it annoyed her as well. She got the impression that her presence here was purposeless, and, oddly, somehow she felt offended by this possibility.

Elizabeth sat down and stared at the lantern. She was tired, dishevelled, dusty, and in love. Maybe it was a good preview of what she might expect of the future she has just chosen. Sailing around the world, living on a ship, getting in troubles every once in a while... She would have all this madness instead of a neat life with Sunday Masses, dinner parties, and balls. But she did not have second thoughts.

She would have given everything for Jack being here right now. She closed her eyes, thinking about him, recollecting the events of past few days, when she found him in Tortuga, and he said, not aware of her presence yet: "You're not _my_ Lizzie". Then when he said he loved her, and she could feel, in the way he looked at her, held her, kissed her..., that he meant it. Captain Jack Sparrow. _Her_ Captain Jack Sparrow.

She was staring at the lantern. Jack would surely get out of here, he would escape from here somehow. Why wouldn't she?

Elizabeth looked around. The door was wooden. But the walls were made of rock. It suddenly occurred to her, that she was in some kind of a cave, inside a mountain, perhaps. She stood up, and touched the uneven surface of the wall. If she could only crush the rock... just to have two pieces of it... then... having two pieces of the rock...and the liquid paraffin from the lantern... she could perhaps have some sparks, and then... she could kindle some fire... and she could get rid of the door, perhaps... Not that she knew exactly how to do that. Not that it was all very clever. Or safe. But it was at least _something._

"I'll make a perfect wife", she whispered to herself, somewhat excited. "I'm daft like you", she added with an amused smile, kicking the wall as hard as she could.

* * *

There are undoubtedly better ways to greet your future father-in-law, than to aim a pistol at him, but since time could not be turned back, Jack must have limited himself to rather clumsy apologies and equally awkward explanations.

The only reason the Governor did not seem to be particularly angry, was probably his deep concern for Elizabeth at the moment. Besides, he was quite impressed by Jack's sudden appearance. He was beginning to believe that Jack Sparrow indeed cared for Elizabeth.

The conversation was heavy going, and Gibbs, who also made his appearance, tried to save it, by focusing strictly on the situation.

Governor Swann explained that the ship has been given up in exchange for Elizabeth and Will, but they did not come back, and _that man _refused to negotiate any further. All the sailors and other people who were on the ship, but were not taken hostage, fled from here as soon and as fast as they could, without looking back, or trying to help him retrieve his daughter and Will.

Jack listened to him calmly, and with concentration. Only once his face tightened for a moment, when the Governor mentioned that Elizabeth and Will were both kidnapped. Together.

He did not know what it was, and he rejected to consider it as jealousy, however he was not particularly fond of the idea that Elizabeth was trapped somewhere _together _with anybody, especially if that anybody was somebody who might have some funny ideas concerning his relations with Elizabeth. Or perhaps he _was_ jealous. There was nothing wrong with it after all. It felt strange, because he was not jealous of anybody before. And now it stunned him how much vexed he actually was upon hearing what he has heard, even though he was sure of Elizabeth's feelings, and there was no reason for feeling threatened by this incident.

"Mr. Gibbs", he said seriously, wrinkling his forehead.

"Captain", answered Gibbs matching the seriousness of his voice.

"Perhaps ye should return to our previous concealment taking Mr. Governor with ye", he suggested firmly.

"Aye", nodded Gibbs.

"I won't leave Elizabeth there", stated Governor Swann with a grimace.

Jack seemed hurt by the implication.

"I'm not leaving Li... Elizabeth there either. I'm going inside to get her this very minute", he explained patiently, trying to sound as calm and as polite as ever, although he was slightly irritated.

"I think I should go too", insisted the Governor, finding it incredible that he actually was talking with Jack Sparrow in this ordinary manner, and, moreover, he was almost asking him for permission to go rescue his own daughter.

"I don't think it's a good idea", countered Jack cautiously. "I'd rather go alone", he added in a low voice, hoping that he did not sound arrogant.

There was a minute of silence. Governor Swann stared at Jack with a quizzical expression on his face.

_He's going to hit me_, was the abstract idea that nevertheless crossed Jack's mind.

"Why", said the Governor suddenly, but it did not sound exactly like a question.

"I'll see around just in case...", Gibbs chimed in knowingly, sensing the inevitable necessity of Jack and Elizabeth's father having a talk, so he decided to leave them alone for a while.

Jack gave him a blank look, and said nothing.

"Why her", said the Governor when Gibbs was gone.

It was getting darker and darker with every minute. Jack took a few steps forward in order to see his interlocutor clearly. Again, what the Governor said was not explicitly a question. He knitted his eyebrows, putting on his face not an angry, but rather a sadly concerned look.

It was one of these rare moments, in which Captain Jack Sparrow seemed to be a strikingly serious, sensible, and sagacious person. There was not a shadow of his usual roguish grin in his face right now. He blinked, and in a split of a second his eyes changed. A juvenile, carelessly amused, and hesitant expression in his eyes was in no time replaced by the most attentive and judicious one. The Governor noticed this sudden change with astonishment.

"I'll bring her back", said Jack solemnly. "I'll bring her back", he repeated instead of saying something else that he wanted to say but decided not to, fearing to sound undeservedly trivial.

"Do you really...", began Governor Swann not knowing exactly what it was that he wanted to ask.

But then, there came a quizzical answer, that left him amazed:

"I'd trade my body and soul for a trace of her smile", said Jack quietly, but extraordinarily firmly and seriously, in a tone of voice that the Governor has never heard before.

It was almost completely dark now; and quiet.

"I didn't see anything suspicious", announced Gibbs upon his returning from his little scout.

"Where should we wait, then?", asked Governor Swann, feeling strangely depressed, exhausted, defeated. And relieved.


	18. Chapter 18

Spoiler: Oi.

Disclaimer: "Knock, knock" / "Who's there?" / "This" / "This – who?" / "Thisclaimer"

(Alright, alright, that was lamentable, I agree )

Anyway, POTC belong to Disney:)

**Chapter 18**

"I am not going to do this", said Will flatly, trying to remain calm, trying to remain indifferent, trying not to consider this...

"Why?", asked captain Harness simply, not seeming to worry about the refusal.

"Because I'm not a murderer. And Jones was a different story. Let's say... a private matter", he explained dryly.

The captain looked at Will steadily for a moment, narrowing his eyes, and then all of a sudden burst out laughing. His laughter was strangely hollow and unpleasant, almost unendurable.

"A private matter", repeated Harness, when he finally stopped laughing. "So unlike now, indeed."

"Yes. And I'd rather we finished this conversation now. And...", Will hesitated, whether he should ask for it again, but he decided to try. "Let Elizabeth out. She has nothing to do with all of this."

Harness sighed rather mockingly, and stared at the floor for a moment.

"You're right, but...", he started looking up at Will again, "you see... I kidnap people from ships... And who do you think they mostly are?", he gave Will a pseudo-questioning look. "Sailors, soldiers, pirates, merchants...", he seemed to consider his own words for a moment. "Men", he added with a wicked smile. "So I think, I'm going to keep her", he concluded, looking at Will searchingly.

Will looked at him, steadily returning his gaze, while thoughts were chaotically rushing through his mind. He did not know what to do.

"Unless...", the captain continued. "You consider my request."

Because he was thinking of Elizabeth at the moment, and he was anxious, he did not take his time to come up with a better reply, so, almost mechanically, he said quickly and apparently without necessary consideration:

"Leave me alone. Leave _her_ alone. If you want to kill him, then do it yourself. I'm sure he'll be here shortly", as soon as he said it, he regretted it. That was telling too much, and he understood it even more clearly, when he saw Harness' puzzled facial expression.

"Really?", asked the captain quite intrigued. "He's on his way already? Well, I guess he is certainly _too_ attached to _my_ ship", he stated with slight annoyance.

Now Will was puzzled, but he quickly realized that Harness was presumably not aware of the fact that Elizabeth and Jack... _Elizabeth and Jack._ How strange... How strange it sounded... As a matter of fact it did not sound at all. So (Will made an effort to concentrate, and continued thinking about the situation only), Harness simply thought that Jack was after the Black Pearl, which was probably true as well, but... Will decided to use this opportunity to try once again, taking advantage of the circumstances.

"I don't think you need me or her anymore, then", he said hesitantly.

The captain looked at him, raising his eyebrows, but nevertheless visibly considering his words for a while.

"If he'd be elsewhere, I couldn't do it myself. But since he... ", the man suddenly fell silent, transfixed by an idea. "And how do you know he's coming?"

Will blinked, trying to find a satisfactorily safe answer.

"Wait a minute", said Harness, slowly coming closer to Will, and regaining his evil mood, which seemed to fade a little in the last few minutes. "Wait a minute", he repeated as if trying to remember something. "Right before I took the ship that you were on, I tried to take other ship, but I couldn't...", he gave Will a searching look and smiled knowingly. "Ah... nice try, boy. Really good. But I think I pieced your story back together. It makes a lot of sense now. So it was _them_ on that ship, right?"

Will was not capable of giving an answer. Neither wanted he nod, nor counter. Anything he might say seemed wrong, and could probably cause even more troubles. He felt like he lost Elizabeth again, in a way. He knew he failed her, because now this man would never let her go. Now that he had a perfect _leverage. _The word echoed in Will's head. It triggered memories. After all it was not so long ago. He remembered... It was a real adventure. Nothing really treacherous. Nothing personal. No real betrayal. No real pain. Of course there was deception and dishonesty, but somehow it did not affect him, it did not hurt him. It was different then. Just a journey to rescue a girl, _his_ girl; hopefully... And before that the morning he brought the sword, and she came down the stairs, saying that she had a dream about him last night... Was it how it started?... Or how it ended...? And later on that same day she met...

"I haven't hoped for such a fortunate coincidence", the voice of captain Harness came as if from another world. Will could barely hear him. He was listening to his own, distorted mind. "Go", said the captain waving his hand dismissively. "Go, I don't need you. You're free to go. Go!", he exclaimed, noticing the absent-mindedness in Will's gaze.

Almost unconsciously, Will turned around, and slowly walked away, walked out of the room, and stopped. What shall he do? Should he go? Should he look for Elizabeth? Should he leave her? Should he rescue her? He hardly knew himself anymore. He hardly knew what he wanted.

* * *

She tried in vain. The rock was too hard, and Elizabeth could not do anything about that. She hurt her foot by kicking the wall so hard. She was exhausted and frustrated, and on the verge of tears, when she heard somebody on the other side of the door. She approached it noiselessly, and picked up the lantern, ready to strike the person at the door with it, should the person come in. And then possibly she could escape. However, somebody was manipulating with the door rather, than opening it, and after couple of minutes, she needed to put the lantern down, because her hands began to hurt from holding it up in the air for so long. 

When the door at last slowly began to open, Elizabeth skulked behind the door, and waited with bated breath for the person to come in, so she could see who it was, before she herself could be seen.

Somebody hesitantly walked in, and looked around...

"Jack...!", exclaimed Elizabeth softly, hardly believing her eyes.

"Ah!", said Jack with a grin that Elizabeth missed more than she would ever wish to admit. "My missing plaything."

She ignored the comment that used to annoy her so much, and just ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck and crashing her lips against his in the most fervent fashion. Jack, although he did expect a warm welcoming, was not entirely prepared for such a passionate outburst of emotions, but nonetheless he responded to it immediately, eagerly deepening the kiss, and pulling Elizabeth to him so close, that she could not even move, shivering from the sensation caused by the sudden closeness of his body, until they had to brake the kiss, desperately gasping for breath.

"You're definitely worth rescuing, luv", whispered Jack with a smirk, running his hand gently across her face, not able to imagine how he could last out these last few hours without her.

"I missed you Jack", she said in a barely audible whisper, looking him deeply in the eyes.

"I've noticed", he grinned, entangling his fingers in her hair, and kissed her again, even more ardently (if it was possible), than before.

In the sweet intoxication of the moment, they lost their balance, and fell hard against the door, accidentally slamming it shut.

The crack ruined the atmosphere, interrupting the kiss. Elizabeth and Jack opened their eyes simultaneously, and looked at each other with apprehension.

Jack, in the grim presentiment, reluctantly reached for the doorknob, pressing it several times...

_Oi._


	19. Chapter 19

Over a 100 reviews! I'm amazed:) **Thank you for all the reviews!** I was so happy when I saw this, that I actually threw my history project out of the window & set to write this chapter instead... Yes... I think I should better go outside & pick it up... Don't wait for me. Go ahead & read on:)

Disclaimer: I don't own POTC.

**Chapter 19**

"It doesn't open from the inside. I tried everything before", said Elizabeth with a sigh, watching Jack, who fruitlessly kept trying to open the door. "It's my fault", she added after a pause, with a worried expression in her eyes.

Jack finally gave up on the door, and went closer to Elizabeth, looking at her with a half-sad, but at the same time half-amused smile.

"Apparently, there is at least one more person to be blamed for that, luv", he smirked, stroking her hair with the back of his hand. "And since we're talking about accidents", he started, staring at her quite seriously. "How did it happen that ye didn't get off that ship?"

"Somebody locked the cabin's door, and I was trapped!", she exclaimed, having the false impression, that Jack insinuated she did not show up on purpose.

"Oh!", Jack appeared surprised, smiling inwardly on the fact, that Elizabeth was still quite easily to be taken in by his little playfully provocative remarks. "And I was thinking ye changed yer mind, Lizzie", he said walking away, and going back to the door, attempting to examine it carefully again.

Elizabeth blinked, quite shocked. How could he doubt her intentions, after having her agreed to marry him?!

"Jack!", she said with a frown, coming up to him. "How could you... Jack!", it particularly annoyed her, that he did not look at her, stubbornly staring at the door instead, pointlessly pressing the knob. "Jack!", she exclaimed.

Although Jack was usually very good at keeping a straight face in difficult situations, at present he found it very demanding not to smile. Especially, when Elizabeth started to shake him by the arm, apparently, in the unconscious need to touch him, which he found very amusing, and flattering at the same time. He knew that she was very good at sharp exchanges, witty questions, clever answers, and teasing. But when it came to _actions_, she was hopelessly lost, and vulnerably innocent. She could not possibly _read_ her own gestures, as he could, and she was oblivious to the fact that he actually knew what she was thinking and feeling better than she did. For him, this innocence was both funny and enchanting. Something he was not really confronted with before.

"Jack! Look at me! I..."

He slightly moved away, and looked at her questioningly.

"And where'd be dear William? From what I've heard you both were kidnapped", he said, knowing that the suspicion in his voice will surely annoy her even more.

Elizabeth bit her lip in vexation, visibly upset. Jack was steadily returning her rebuking gaze. He believed it was not the question itself that annoyed her, but rather the fact that it prevented her from throwing herself into his arms at the moment.

"Yes, but that man with a strange face let him out", answered Elizabeth shockingly simply, with no trace of irony or grievances in her voice, only proving Jack's conceited assumptions. She was actually excusing herself over nothing.

He stared at her for a while yet, enjoying this little victory of his, and then, before she was even able to acknowledge it, in one quick movement he wrapped his arms around her, and gazed into her eyes from the distance of less than few inches, almost touching her lips with his.

"However... I _may _consider accepting yer apologies, luv...", he whispered huskily.

_For what?!, _exclaimed Elizabeth in her mind. So he tricked her again. He was only teasing her again. She wanted to tell him off for that, but then she did not really feel like uttering a coherent sentence in this very moment...

He began to kiss her with such delicacy and tenderness, that at first she could hardly feel his lips on hers at all. She felt as if the room was spinning around, and she desperately tried to hold on to something, and the only thing that was within her reach happened to be Jack, so she held on to him, embracing him with a blind force, almost violently pulling him towards her, even though there was really no free space left between them, and they could not be any closer to each other than they were already. He trailed the feathery kisses all over her face, subconsciously smiling, when he felt her shiver under his hand, which was travelling up and down her body chaotically, yet deliberately enough to cause her sigh, blush, and held on to him even more, especially that she felt capable of fainting at every moment, trembling to the point at which she could barely keep her balance.

So many things she wanted to say... She wanted to protest... No, she did not want to do that. But she should. And the time was not right. Totally wrong, in fact...

Jack worked his way down her neck so slowly, that Elizabeth almost wanted to scream. The intervals between the kisses was excruciatingly long, so out of her growing impatience, she leaned towards him, showering his face, his neck, his hair with feverish kisses, until he cupped her face in his hands trying to meet her hazy gaze, and then kissed her with a frantic passion fully on the mouth, running his fingers through her hair with one hand, and mercilessly pressing her body against his with the other. She moaned involuntarily, attempting to loosen the embrace, but giving up quickly, unable to move within his unexpectedly strong arms. Not even wanting to move. Just letting him do whatever he wanted. Letting him hold her, kiss her, caress her the way he wanted. She did not care, as long as it felt like _this_, as long as it felt like heaven...

"Jack", she whispered to hear his voice, to make it all more real.

"Lizbeth", he answered under his quickened breath.

"I think... we should be doing something...", she started, trying to gather her thoughts.

"I think we _are_ doing something, luv", observed Jack with a ghost of a smirk, silencing her with his lips.

"Ye-yes... but I mean... we should get away from here... I think... as soon... as we can... that is... now..."

"Yes", he said, not seeming to be listening to her with much comprehension.

He could not remember when was the last time he got so lost in a kiss, in a woman. He could not remember. Maybe never. Maybe now it was different, because now, with Elizabeth, it was not so simple. It was not only desire, lust. He knew only too well how to deal with these. But now it was something else, something tearing him apart, burning, vexing, frustrating, haunting him. Something infinitely sweet, unprecedentedly intoxicating. Something he did not quite believe in before. Now, it was love. And not a word only, but also a feeling. _Completeness... Exclusiveness... Elizabeth... Lizzie... _The words were flickering through his mind at random. He was amazed by the discovery. He was amazed by the feeling. He was amazed by her.

"I love you", he said in a strangely fragile whisper, holding her tight, bringing her head to nestle into his chest.

"I love you too", she whispered ardently, with a smile, because he was saying this for the second time, he was saying this again, while she did not even quite expected him to say it ever.

Captain Jack Sparrow admitting his feelings... That was almost unimaginable.

They stood holding each other silently, having virtually forgotten about the entire situation, about being trapped in this room...

When they heard a noise, at first they could not understand from where did it come from. Coming back to the reality, they noticed with sincere astonishment that somebody was manipulating, like Jack before, with the door. Soon, the door opened, featuring William Turner in the doorway.


	20. Chapter 20

A/N (I just realized that this is probably the appropriate heading for my comments...:)

Spoiler: A sword fight. A little sword fight, to be precise.

It's like, what, 20th chapter & this is supposed to be a romance/_action/adventure _story & I noticed lately that there was not a single sword fight so far... neither a battle... nor a duel... nobody get killed... shot... hanged... nobody drowned... No, no, don't worry, I'm not going to make up for all of that in this chapter, however...

Disclaimer: Disney owns POTC.

**Chapter 20**

He did not know what to do. Harness let him out, but it frustrated him even more. He could not make himself find the way out from the dark corridor, from this place. Not without her. However... Why should he care? He tried to pretend he did not, but it was of no use. He did care. He was probably a fool, but he did care. He was angry at himself. He should really give up. Give in and move on and forget...

Will sighed.

Eventually, he decided on trying to rescue her. Noiselessly, he went down a dark, strange, rocky hallway, to where he remembered was the room, in which they both were trapped, and in which now Elizabeth has been locked. He tried to open the lock with his sword, and somehow he succeeded.

Will sighed with relief, and confidently walked in. There she was, right where he left her. With the exception of the surrounding, which changed dramatically.

"What are you doing here?!", he could not help asking, seeing Jack. Seeing Jack's arms around Elizabeth.

"I thought ye'd never come", said Jack peevishly, quickly taking advantage of the situation, grabbing Elizabeth by the hand, and walking briskly out of the room.

Will looked at them as they were passing him in the doorway, too surprised to continue demanding an explanation. He glanced into the room, not really knowing what to do, closed the door at last, and ran after Jack and Elizabeth, who did not bother waiting for him, and were almost disappearing from view already.

"Wait!", shouted Will carelessly, catching up with them.

"If ye don't find it too difficult", started Jack in a firm whisper, turning towards him. "Please stop raising yer lovely voice to the level at which it may get us all in trouble."

"I'm not the one getting us in trouble", countered Will coldly.

"Oh, really", said Jack putting a surprised look on his face. "Perhaps ye could then elaborate on the topic of yer wedding, which, strangely enough, other people seem to have no recollection of?"

"Funny you should be the one bringing this particular topic up", observed Will with growing irritation, seriously considering turning the conversation into a duel.

"Stop it!", Elizabeth cut in quietly, in a sharp tone of voice, before Jack had a chance to answer.

"Both of you. We have to get out of here alive!", she said looking around with anxiety.

"So what are you going to do, Jack?", continued Will bitterly, completely ignoring Elizabeth's appeal. "Trade her for the Black Pearl?"

"What?", asked Jack, wrinkling his forehead in an effort to understand.

"The Black Pearl. That's why you're here. That's why he's here!", Will repeated triumphantly, turning to Elizabeth.

"I know", said Elizabeth impatiently.

"You knew this?!", Will looked at her baffled.

"She just said she knew!", Jack cut in sharply.

"Come on, we have to go!", Elizabeth pleaded desperately, pulling Jack by the coat.

"I was not talking to you!", Will turned to Jack with a frown.

"Yes, but I allowed myself to speak for me fiancé", stated Jack casually.

"Your what?", Will gave him the hardest look possible.

"Can you please stop it?!", demanded Elizabeth, waving wildly her hands at them.

"How dare you?!", exclaimed Will reaching for his sword, and not even glancing at Elizabeth.

"Oh. So ye actually _did_ hear what I said", observed Jack with mild interest.

"I should have done it first time I saw you!", shouted Will, wielding his sword in Jack's direction.

"Oi", muttered Jack disapprovingly, and reluctantly drew his sword.

"Are you both insane?!", whispered Elizabeth hysterically, running in between them. "_He_ will hear us!"

"Back to practicing three hours a day, aye?", observed Jack with a grin.

It was too much even for Will. He pushed Elizabeth aside, and stroke out first.

Then a regular fight began. They were doing so much noise with the swords, the noise which echoed in the dim hallway strikingly loud, that Elizabeth expected the man with the scarred face to appear in every moment. He must have been deaf as a post, if he would not hear this, she thought to herself.

Jack and Will kept brandishing their swords at each other rather chaotically, but still quite eagerly, as if they were waiting for this confrontation for a long time, or if not exactly waiting, then at least expecting it to happen sooner or later. Perhaps the time was not best, and the location perhaps even the worst, but nevertheless it was unavoidable.

"She'll never be yours", hissed Will, pressing his sword against Jack's.

"Ah", nodded Jack knowingly. "Is this what ye're repeating to yerself in front of a mirror every night?", inquired Jack, quickly striking back.

"Jack! Will! What are you doing?!", Elizabeth hopelessly tried to attract their attention, but their consistently paid her none. "Stop it at once!"

"Do you really think she loves you?", asked Will with an ironic smile flickering across his face, as he stepped forward, preparing for the next hit.

"I didn't really have time for _thinking _about it", replied Jack with a smirk.

"Alright! I'm going!", shouted Elizabeth. "Do you hear me?! I'm leaving!!!"

No reaction. Apart from clinking of metal. But it had little to do with her threat.

"Fine", said Elizabeth pouting her lips, and seriously considering walking away.

Suddenly, Will stumbled over something, and fall, so she used that opportunity to intervene. She approached them quickly. Despite everything that has happened, it crossed Will's mind that she was going to help him up. But, quite on the contrary, she indifferently passed him still sitting on the ground, and went up to Jack.

"That's enough", she said solemnly, taking him by the hand. She was angry, but her anger faded away as soon as he looked at her with these dark, fathomless eyes of his.

"He started!", said Jack defensively, pointing with his sword at Will, who was just getting up.

"Me?!", exclaimed Will, coming closer to them.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes in exasperation, and sighed.

"You'll ruin her", said Will through his teeth.

"I can take care of myself, thank you", put in Elizabeth, slightly annoyed by the remark.

"It's high time for us to leave, I imagine", observed Jack, suddenly looking around cautiously, putting away his sword, and grabbing Elizabeth by the hand.

Will followed them with his eyes, somewhat hurt by the sight. Not long ago it was him who had the right to hold her hand... He looked around hesitantly, and reluctantly followed them down the grim hallway.

"I'm angry with you Jack", said Elizabeth in a low voice, when they were walking alone for a moment.

For some reason Jack shot her an amused look.

"No, ye'r not, luv", he countered blankly, tightening his grip around her hand.

"Yes, I am", she insisted, looking at him curiously.

"No, ye'r not", repeated Jack calmly, glancing at her provocatively.

"Yes, I..."

He pulled her into his arms, and kissed passionately on the lips.

"Well, Captain Sparrow, if you hold a false belief that this is the way to deal with my independent opinions...", Elizabeth started, but changed her mind, and instead of finishing the sentence, leaned to kiss him. However, in the corner of her eye she noticed Will approaching, so she decided to drew back. Jack put on a hurt look, and was about to say something, when Will prevented him from doing so by his reappearance. Jack rolled his eyes, and continued walking, taking Elizabeth by the hand.

She lately noticed, that he kept doing this every time they were walking together. On the one hand it slightly irritated her, because she felt as if he was treating her as a child, that has to be led by the hand. On the other, however, she liked it. She liked the charming arrogance of this gesture, and the certainty which was expressed in it, and by it. The certainty, that he had a right to do this, because she belonged to him. Somehow, it made her feel safe. And only a little annoyed.

"Where are you going? I don't think this is the way out!", exclaimed Will sharply, looking around hesitantly. The corridor became very narrow, and now was even darker than before.

"Feel free to turn around, and go wherever you want", answered Jack with a slightly ironic politeness, glancing at him briefly.

"What about...", started Elizabeth, suddenly remembering something.

"Yer father is outside, Lizzie. Safe", replied Jack quietly, without looking at her, before she had a chance to finish her question.

"Oh", Elizabeth looked at him with a soft smile. How did he know what she was going to ask? Somehow, he did. "Thank you, Jack".

"I don't deserve the credit for it, luv. He was there before I got there", said Jack with a small smile.

Will reluctantly, and not really knowing why, followed them with a somber facial expression, barely enduring listening to their simple conversation. He simply could not stand it. How could she treat Jack Sparrow like that, as if he was... normal, and not a constantly drunk, selfish trickster? Observing Elizabeth, however, it occurred to him (making him feel a little better), that perhaps she was really not to be blamed for this whole situation. Maybe she just was under some kind of a spell. He draw this conclusion from the way she behaved towards Jack. Not like she did before. Not quite like before, when she could quickly grow impatient with him, or shoot him cold and brusque looks. Now, there was this strange admiration in her eyes, which sent shivers up Will's spine. Why did she look at him like that? She knew he was tricky, dishonest, self-centered, untrustworthy...

Busy inventing still new negative adjectives, Will did not notice, when they actually went out of the corridor, and outside the cave, outside the mountain. It was dark and humid outside, and the sky was starless. But it seemed that they were free. Will sighed with relief, although it surprised him, when he looked at them, that Jack and Elizabeth stood motionlessly, staring forward with a quizzical expression in their eyes.

And then, he finally noticed...


	21. Chapter 21

A/N - It's the longest chapter so far:) I just couldn't decide where to split it into two chapters, so I decided to leave it like that. I hope that's OK.

A/D (Author's Digression) - 14 days to AWE!!!

Disclaimer: I don't own POTC.

**Chapter 21**

They stood right before the entrance to the dark mountain, from which they just got out, and there was nothing that they would rather do, than walk away from where they were standing. But unfortunately, they could not do this, because the ground on which they were standing was rather limited... There, where before was land, now was water. It looked as if the mountain stood on an island, not bigger than the mountain itself. The murky ocean seemed to be consuming the place which looked frighteningly dark under the black starless sky. And only the moon glittered above, like a ghastly lantern. The shapes of the ships loomed in the darkness. The water seemed to be everywhere. Endless, terribly black ocean.

Elizabeth, Jack, and Will were stunned into silence by the view. They stood looking around in bewilderment, when they heard a quiet noise, which stood out against the soft swoosh of the waves. From behind the corner, keeping closely to the mountain's side, two silhouettes were approaching slowly.

"Jack?", one of the shadows called hesitantly.

"Most likely", replied Jack without enthusiasm, wrinkling his forehead.

"Thanks God!", exclaimed Gibbs happily, coming towards them a little faster. Governor Swann followed him impatiently.

"Elizabeth", he said with a sigh of relief, noticing her. _So he did bring her back, after all..._

"Father! I'm glad you're alright", she said guiltily with a faint smile. Somehow Elizabeth felt as if it was all her fault. Again.

The Governor embraced her briefly, noticing her hand in Jack's hand, their fingers laced together, neither of them letting go of the other even for a moment. She looked tired, but there was the happy glint in her eyes, this glint that he wished he would see someday, yet he was afraid to see it. And now it was there. And he knew he has eventually lost her, in a way.

Governor Swann looked at his daughter with concern. He knew that someday she would get married, have a life on her own, her own new family. But it did not mean that he would lose her. No. She still would be the same person marrying James Norrington, marrying William Turner. Yes, even Will Turner. When they were engaged she looked happy, but she still had this sense of reality in her eyes, she was conscious, able to concentrate, able to listen, able to take part in what was going on around her.

And now, to his inexorably ongoing surprise, it was all different. She looked at him as always, she smiled at him as always, but he could feel that her thoughts were elsewhere, that she was emotionally in a different world. She was in Jack Sparrow's world. He still could not understand how it was possible, but it was painfully obvious that this man bewitched her so completely that there was not a piece of her left. There was no sense of reality in her eyes now. Now in her eyes it was only _him_.

"Mr. Gibbs", called Jack, still looking around.

"Captain", replied Gibbs less than firmly.

"What happened... to the land?", he asked with a trace of accusation in his voice, glancing at Gibbs questioningly, although he did not seem to expect hearing a satisfying answer.

"The land... Well, we waited for ye to return, and all of a sudden the water began to approach, so having a choice of climbing up the cliff, or waiting for ye here..."

"We have to swim to the cliff, climb up and go through that forest over there", cut in Will, pointing at dark silhouettes of the trees in the forest above them. The forest from which Jack and Gibbs came here before.

Jack looked curiously at the sea, and drew back a little pulling Elizabeth further away from the water as well.

"We can't", he stated solemnly.

"And why is that?", asked Will, irritated.

"Actually ye can if ye want", said Jack after a moment of consideration.

Elizabeth turned towards Jack, and looked him in the eyes, trying not to smile.

"Why we cannot swim, Jack?", she asked knowingly.

He looked at her, thinking of how beautiful she looked in the moonlight. And he suddenly felt an absurd urge to kiss her immediately, but regretfully suppressed it for many reasons, only one of them being that it would not be an answer to her question...

"Look at the water, luv."

She looked at the water. And everybody else looked at it as well. It looked ordinary, Maybe except for the mist that... No, it was not the mist. Suddenly they realized why it was so humid there. The humidity came from the sea, from the water, because the water was... steaming.

"It's hot", whispered Elizabeth in disbelief.

"Aye", nodded Jack. "But as I said, if Mr. Turner wishes to be boiled, I feel in no position to interfere."

The Governor raised his eyebrows, finding the advice doubtfully funny, while to his surprise Elizabeth did seem to smile a little, but then she quickly put on a serious look. Will stared at the water bewildered, not even hearing the comment.

"We might need to go back inside", stated Jack with a barely audible sigh.

"Is this by any chance just one of the options we have?", asked Gibbs hesitantly.

"No", countered Jack. "We have no options. And this is just one of the options we don't have."

"If it's not an option, we don't have to do this, then?", asked Gibbs with some hope, but without much conviction.

"Just on the contrary", said Jack to Gibbs' disappointment. "We have to do this, because it's the only option we don't have that we have."

"Aye", answered Gibbs mechanically, with a reluctant nod.

Will stood silently observing the scene, glancing from time to time at Elizabeth. What should he do? Should he tell Jack about the man with frightening eyes? About the conversation? How much did he know already? They were here (_They, _he chuckled), Jack knew about the Pearl. But did he knew that the man with a scarred face considered the Black Pearl to be his ship? That the man wanted to kill Jack for his fulfilled request to drag the Pearl back from the depths? And what was the story behind it all?

At least he was sure that it was not his story. Neither was this Elizabeth his Elizabeth. Will stared at her, her eyes turned to Jack, looking at Jack, thinking of Jack, belonging to... Thoughts began to rush through his mind.

Will rescued her so many times. He proved he loved her. He risked his life for her. He could not do possibly more than he did. And the only thing he wanted in return was she. Just her. Marrying her and living a simple life together. Happily. Ever. After. It cannot just disappear. This dream of his. He deserved it. Nobody cared whether he was good, noble, honest. At least Elizabeth did not seem to care. It did not matter. And who knows? Maybe she would even liked him better if he had not been so ideal... _What an absurd justification_. Yes, very absurd. A justification?...

He glanced grimly at Elizabeth. She looked stunning. Despite her disheveled appearance, and dirty dress, she looked stunning; as always. She was beautiful. And she was his. And no filthy pirate is going to change that. Perhaps Will could make a deal with the man with a scarred face... After all, he just wanted Jack. He has no profound reasons to harm anybody else...

"Yes, we must go back inside", Will heard himself saying.

Everyone looked at him. Did they notice? No. He inwardly laughed at himself. He must stop thinking that whenever he lies or has some dark thoughts people can immediately see it. They cannot.

And they did not. The water was almost reaching them, as they stood near the entrance. After yet another brief discussion, they reluctantly went back inside.

As soon as they did, the entrance loudly slammed shut behind them, leaving them in darkness. But the darkness did not last long. Soon, the dim light appeared. The light from a lantern, carried by somebody...

"I had a feeling you shall come back", said captain Harness, looking at them with a half-smile.

"We forgot something", said Jack unexpectedly, attracting general attention, as everybody else was stunned into silence, and did not dare to move, nor understand how he could move or talk.

"Oh really?", asked Harness seemingly intrigued. "And what would that be?"

Subconsciously, Elizabeth squeezed Jack's hand, either from her own feeling of fear, or out of concern for what he may answer. She trusted him infinitely, but she had to objectively admit that the best solutions to Jack's problems were the solutions that happened to find him, rather than solutions that he tried to find... And now it seemed that he tried to come up with a solution on his own.

"Well", began Jack, taking a few steps forward, still holding Elizabeth by the hand, and although she did not really feel like stepping forward, she did not want to let go of his hand either.

The situation was dramatic and difficult. And in Captain Jack Sparrows' world the best and the only thing that you could do in a difficult situation, was... make it more difficult.

"My ship", said Jack with an innocent smirk. "We forgot me ship."

Elizabeth blinked, and turned her head slightly towards Jack, trying to read from his face possible explanation for uttering the most inappropriate sentence in the given circumstances.

"Jack?", she said in a barely audible whisper.

As an answer, he just squeezed her hand reassuringly.

Harness, on the other hand, took some steps forward, and it crossed Elizabeth's mind that he looked slightly shocked at the bluntness of Jack's remark. _Clearly he has never met Captain Jack Sparrow before..._

"And that ship would be...?", asked the captain staring at Jack steadily.

Everyone held their breath.

It occurred to Will that Jack must have been be aware of the story. That he must have known that the Black Pearl was once this man's ship, and that he wanted her back. _He cannot be that stupid as to tell him now that..._

"The Black Pearl", announced Jack almost happily.

_Yes, he can._

Will sighed. Gibbs' eyes flew wide open. Elizabeth blinked. Governor Swann did not understand what exactly was going on, and could not believe that he actually was in _such _circumstances in the first place.

"The Black Pearl", repeated Harness in a strange voice.

"Yep. Me ship, the Black Pearl", confirmed Jack cheerfully.

Elizabeth wanted to scream, and really tried to convince herself that Jack knew what he was doing when he was infuriating this man. But there was always a possibility of a bitter disappointment...

"That's my ship", muffled captain Harness, staring at Jack with a trace of disbelief in his eyes. He expected everything, but arrogance.

"I know ye've the Black Pearl now, but I was thinking that we could negotiate the exchange of the Pearl", said Jack, showing his gold teeth in a knowing grin. "Aye?"

Elizabeth winced at the word _exchange_. They had nothing for exchange. Apparently.

"And what so valuable do you have, that it makes you think that I would be willing to exchange my ship for it?", asked Harness, not even noticing, when he got drawn into the conversation which he did not even planned to have.

And it was not until Elizabeth heard her father say something in a loud voice, that she realized that she actually heard correctly, and that among many words with which Jack filled his complex reply, for reasons that she could not imagine, in the context that she must have failed to notice, somehow appeared also... her name.


	22. Chapter 22

Spoiler: And what are _ye_ doing?!

Disclaimer: Disney owns Jack, Liz, etc.

**Chapter 22**

Jack tightened his grip around Elizabeth's hand. She took it for a gesture of reassurance, but of course it might have been a gesture aimed at keeping her from breaking free as well. She did not know what to think. Surprise, was not the word to describe her feelings, because Jack hardly ever did something that actually did not take her by surprise. He surely was up to something. But why he did not tell her? Maybe he was just improvising... Making it up at the moment... Yes, that was possible. But somehow this possibility did not alleviate her anxiety.

Captain Harness shifted his eyes from Jack to Elizabeth, then to Jack, then to Elizabeth... and finally he raised his eyebrows, and looked at them both with some suspicion.

"What is that supposed to mean?", he asked drily.

_Yes, what is that supposed to mean?!_, screamed Elizabeth inside her head. She really wished to know. The only soothing aspect of the situation being the way in which Jack still held her hand in his. And it somehow prevented her from_ too_ literal an interpretation of his words.

But the insight available to her, was not available to Governor Swann, who was utterly horrified, when Jack actually offered Elizabeth in exchange for the ship.

Will, on the other hand, could hardly believe that he was actually right, when predicted this to happen. He did not really believe in it, when he said it. He just wanted to make Elizabeth doubt the clarity of Jack's intentions. And seeing his words apparently came true, he was almost overjoyed. Although somewhere deep inside he knew that it was probably just too good to be true.

"Well, perhaps we shouldn't be discussing such serious matters in the hallway", said Jack with a smirk. "Perhaps... the Black Pearl would be a more appropriate location, so that I would be able to check whether she did not suffer some damag..."

"I don't think I said I'm going to make any deals concerning _my _ship just yet", Harness interrupted Jack in mid-flow.

"That's why", continued Jack with indefatigable enthusiasm, "I propose taking a walk, a stroll, a swim, or whatever is necessary, to the Pearl and then compare all the advantages and disadvantages, which I have to point out that are hardly any, of the possible, supposed, apparently bound to happen the theretofore mentioned exchange. Savvy?"

There was a trace of confusion in Harness' evil eyes. _A madman? An idiot?_

"We could've a reconciliatory meal or something if there's still the crew on board to prepare it", added Jack searchingly, taking the advantage of an opportune moment of silence.

The captain, however, did not say a word, and just observed everybody with his eyes narrowed in suspicion. There was one detail that particularly triggered his doubts. The incident with the ship that could not have been taken. And there was the only possible reason for this – love. Knowing then, as he learned it from the boy, that the people on that ship was Jack Sparrow and this girl, it seemed incredible that he would actually exchange her for a ship. If he loved her. If she loved him. But still, Harness did not believe in love. Maybe it was yet another proof that he has always been right?

"Alright", he said finally. "Follow me, but...", he added looking at them intently, "no smart moves of any kind", he said pulling out an old-looking pistol with the gold trigger, and aiming it at Elizabeth to clarify his meaning.

"How dare you...", came the Governor's voice from behind, as he suddenly approached, looking at Harness, then at Jack, not really knowing whom he should address. He was outraged, and horrified.

Elizabeth wanted to calm him down, but there was really no way of doing this right now. What could she tell him? Do not worry, he is (probably, most likely, hopefully) bluffing? Because he is, isn't he?... Suddenly, Will's words echoed in her head... And what was Jack's answer to the accusation that he was going to trade her for the Black Pearl? Oh, yes. He said: "What?". Like some time ago, on Isla Cruces, when Will said that Jack tricked him on the Flying Dutchman... The problem was... that _that _actually did turn out to be true...

"Father", she said rather blankly, not really knowing how to said it.

Governor Swann looked at her, his face tense, his forehead wrinkled, his eyes glimmering with anxiety and anger.

Harness looked at the scene with interest. Something was certainly going on, and he did not know yet what it was exactly, but it seemed to him slightly amusing, so he decided to see how it all turns out. And if they are up to something... he makes them pay for it anyway. Besides... the girl was indeed beautiful. Not that he ever considered giving up his ship... He grinned inwardly.

"Be quiet", he said pointing the pistol at the Governor. "And you all shall go in silence."

He changed his mind, and instead of having them follow him, he let them go first in the direction that he pointed to them with the pistol, from time to time ordering them to turn right or turn left, until they reached the door leading outside. Behind the door was a long, strangely looking, located far above water bridge, which seemed to be leading into the darkness of the night. As they were walking along it, however, a silhouette looming in the darkness appeared, and the closer to it they were getting, the more familiar it began to look.

Elizabeth knew that the captain kept a watchful eye on them, so she restrained herself even from taking a brief look at Jack, although she really wanted to do that. She wanted to see in his face the confirmation of this all being just a trick, even though she knew that already. She knew him. She had this absurd, transcendentally motivated faith in him.

And there it finally was – the Black Pearl with its black sails, floating on the surface of the murky ocean, in the light of the moon, in which she looked more like a ghost ship.

Captain Harness ordered them to stop, and made his way to the front, walking as the first on board.

As he was stepping on deck, there was only a split of the second in which he actually could not see them, as his back was turned towards them for the moment. There was not enough time for explanation, for any words at all, and even if there would be time for these, it was not Jack's habit to justify his actions and make excuses, especially beforehand. However, for some reason, he found it necessary to signal, despite the risk, his intentions. For some reason, he did not want Elizabeth to feel uncertain, even for an hour, for a minute, for a second. A very strange feeling, indeed. In one swift movement he turned her around, and disregarding even the presence of the Governor who was right behind them, kissed her with both great passion and great velocity on the lips.

The kiss caught Elizabeth off guard, but she understood. She wanted to say something, but she knew she must not. Governor Swann blinked and tried to understand. Gibbs and Will who stood in the front did not even notice. As well as captain Harness, who turned to face them less than a second afterwards, and called for them to step on board.

Jack pretended to look around with interest, as if he was really checking the state of the ship.

"Aye. I see everything looks rather unchanged. I think we could neg...", began Jack in a relaxed tone of voice, but was cut off by Harness' dry laughter.

"Answer me one question", started the captain when he finally stopped laughing. "Because I think I am misunderstanding something", he said, cocking his pistol in a disinterested gesture. "Why should I exchange the ship which is mine already, for a hostage who actually happens to be mine already as well?"

Everybody looked at Jack. He shot a slightly discomforted look around, but nonetheless calmly carried out his negotiations:

"Well... That's a very good question."

Will observed the scene impatiently. He wanted to do something, and not just wait counting on Jack's ridiculous filibustering.

"That's why I'm so anxious to hear an answer", replied Harness mockingly.

"The answer is very simple. Your, so called, life", announced Jack with a grin. "And actually", he continued, as the captain just knitted his eyebrows in response. "It seems that ye might consider giving back _my _ship even without taking _any_ hostages in exchange."

Will rolled his eyes and sighed loud enough to attract the attention. Jack gave him a slightly irritated look. Elizabeth felt as if she was soon going to fail following Jack's reasoning. It was just getting too convoluted.

"Is this a joke of some kind?", asked Harness, beginning to look really annoyed, an evil glint back in his eyes. And his scarred face looked even more frightening in the moonlight.

"No", countered Jack putting a hurt look on his face at this accusation, and pulling something out of his coat's inner pocket.

Elizabeth turned her head to see what it was. It was the wooden box that Philip Fairwood gave them. But they did not look inside. They did not know what was inside. Or perhaps only _she_ did not know?

Jack opened the box and took a pistol out of it. Elizabeth did not notice anything unusual about it. An ordinary pistol. _Jack?!..._

Captain Harness must also not have been impressed by the sight, because he smiled, and said with impatient amusement:

"Oh, this is really enjoyable. Do you intend to shoot me? Please do. But I feel obliged to warn you that I am dead already. In case you did not know that."

"I know that", said Jack with a smirk.

Harness stopped smiling and stared at him intently.

"But there is an instant at which it can actually work", said Jack cocking his pistol in turn.

Elizabeth swallowed hard, feeling rather uncomfortable in the middle of all this. She could hear her father gasping and Will muttering something under his breath. And only Mr. Gibbs kept perfectly quiet, observing everything wide-eyed.

"Yes, there is a curse, which says that only a relative of mine can kill me", said Harness solemnly. "Somebody who shares my blood. And I don't think you meet the requirements."

"Think again", said Jack with a glint of seriousness in his eyes.

"Again", hissed Harness lifting his pistol. "I ask what is this supposed to mean?"

Elizabeth was surprised at how strange it felt, when Jack finally let go of her hand. And even then, she could actually feel his touch, the warmth of his touch still on her hand, although their hands were now separated. Jack pushed her gently, so that she would take some steps backwards. Clearly, he wanted her out of the line of fire.

"There's a bullet in this pistol", said Jack tapping the barrel.

"I would certainly have never suspect_ that_", replied Harness with growing annoyance.

"A special bullet", narrowed his eyes Jack. "A blood-stained bullet."

A sudden thought flashed through Elizabeth's mind. She remembered the morning in Philip Fairwood's house, when she and Jack heard a shotgun. And then the doctor came back, covering his arm... Did it have something to do with this?

"And I firmly believe that this bullet meets the requirements", he added with a smirk. "As it is stained with the blood of your grandson, who gave it to me."

Apart from Elizabeth who could at least have a faint idea of what Jack was talking about, everybody was rather baffled, including captain Harness.

"So if ye please", said Jack suggesting with a wave of his hand for Harness to get off the ship.

Jack considered the situation to be rather advantageous at that point, but then something happened. Firstly, he heard Elizabeth saying: "Will!" in a loud voice. Then, to Jack's surprise, an initially hard look on Harness' face softened, as the man smiled wickedly. Thirdly, Jack felt something cold on his neck, and slowly turning around found that it was a blade of Will's sword.

"And what are _ye_ doing?", he asked impatiently, wrinkling his forehead.

But Will ignored his question, looking steadily on captain Harness, whom he addressed in a solemn tone of voice:

"Take him, and let us sail off on the Black Pearl."


	23. Chapter 23

A/N

Firstly (& most importantly), **my wonderful reviewers, I wanted to thank you for your** **reviews! **:)

Secondly, well... concerning Will's apparently desirable demise... I suggest we'll keep him alive for some time yet & then we'll see. OK? (silence) OK?? (silence) OK???...

Alright, I _will_ think it over yet;)

Disclaimer: Disney owns POTC.

**Chapter 23**

"Will!", exclaimed Elizabeth coming up to him, but he pushed her aside, still holding his sword on Jack's neck, his eyes focused on Harness' unreadable face.

"Somebody's having second thoughts, I see", said Harness with a smile, alluding to Will's former refusal to kill Jack.

"What is your answer?", asked Will almost angrily.

There was a moment of silence.

_Ah, an opportune moment. _

Taking everybody by surprise, Jack jumped away from Will's sword. Harness aimed his pistol at him, and fired, but the bullet just brushed Jack's shoulder, and did not manage to prevent him from shooting in Harness' direction. Unlike the captain, Jack did not miss. Pressing his hands to his bleeding chest, captain Harness fell on deck.

Everybody stood petrified, not knowing what to do, not really knowing what has happened, and whether it was really over.

Elizabeth snatched herself from her father's protective embrace, and ran to Jack.

"Is he... gone?", she asked in a low voice, slipping her hand under Jack's arm.

"Aye, luv. I guess he is", said Jack looking intently at captain Harness' body.

Elizabeth sighed softly, but then she suddenly remembered something, and turning towards Jack, asked peevishly:

"What didn't you tell me about any of these, Jack?"

"Of what?", asked Jack innocently.

"Of everything! Of the pistol, the bullet, that this doctor was Harness' grandson...", Elizabeth felt as if she could go on forever.

"Lizzie dear-", started Jack, grasping her wrist.

"I did not even know what was in the box! I thought you did not know either!", shouted Elizabeth, shaking his hand off.

"Lizzie luv-"

Elizabeth was upset, but then from the corner of her eye she noticed Will, and it redirected her attention.

"And what were _you_ going to do, Will?", she suddenly changed addressee, coming up to Will.

Jack was quite content with the change concerning the target of Elizabeth's grudges.

"I would like to know that either", said Jack matter-of-factly.

Will, who was still holding the sword in his hand, shrugged his shoulders.

"I wanted to help", he said plainly.

"Help whom?", asked Jack curiously.

"If I could suggest something", timidly cut in Gibbs. "Perhaps we should set sail first and then discuss all that there's to be discussed, aye?"

Before anybody could react to his proposal, there was a sudden noise, and some silhouettes began to emerge from below deck. Soon, the silhouettes have taken more recognizable shapes. With sighs of relief everybody acknowledged that it was the crew of the Black Pearl, including even Cotton's parrot, which looked strikingly colorful against the black sky, in the light of the moon.

There was a happy moment of reunion, finally followed by Jack's orders to weigh anchor. In the general confusion, they almost completely forgot about captain Harness, whose body still laid on deck... Or... not... really...

"Master Gibbs, where'd be our late and much lamented foe captain's apparently lifeless body?", asked Jack suddenly looking at the spot where Harness fell.

Gibbs stared at him for a second, blinking, and then followed Jack's gaze, and looked in the same direction. There was nothing there.

"Where's he?", asked Gibbs.

"That was more or less _my_ question", observed Jack patiently.

"I say we set sail as fast as we can?", offered Gibbs after some hesitation.

"Aye", nodded Jack, taking a quick look around. "But keep yer eyes wide open."

"Aye", agreed Gibbs, and walked away.

The Black Pearl began to roll softly on the waves, and the ship silently sailed into the darkness of the night.

Jack saw Elizabeth talking to her father, and hesitated for a moment whether he should wait for her, or he should go immediately to stand at the helm. Then it occurred to him how peculiar this vacillation was. Was it not the first thing he should do, or at least _want_ to do after retrieving the Pearl? Was it not always what he wanted most, what he missed most as a captain of the ship? And now, instead of running to take the helm, he stood in the middle of the deck, waiting for a lass to finish a conversation. _Oh,_ _bugger._

"I walk you below. You must get some rest", whispered Elizabeth worryingly.

"It is beyond me, Elizabeth", said Governor Swann with a sigh. "These last days... I try to understand, I try to-"

"I know", said Elizabeth looking away.

"No, you do not", countered the Governor with a small smile, causing her to look at him again.

"But... perhaps we should leave this conversation until morning. I am exhausted, and you must be as well."

"Yes. We will talk in the morning", smiled Elizabeth, and taking her father by the arm, she walked with him towards the stairs.

Jack followed them with his eyes, feeling rather sad. Maybe she did not want to talk to him. Maybe she was still upset because he did not tell her everything that Philip Fairwood had told him?

As Elizabeth and her father disappeared below deck, Jack reluctantly went to take the helm, giving himself a dressing-down for all of this sentimental thinking.

The night was dark, and he felt tired trying to rethink everything that has happened. Where was Harness' body? Did he disappear? It was probable. Did he just walk away? It was possible. Why was the water around the mountain hot? Why was he kidnapping people? What was the fate of the hostages? The questions were circulating in his mind, and he neither tried to answer them, nor was he asking them in the first place. They were just flowing to him from the darkness, keeping him dully awake.

The wind was warm, and light, but still noticeable. The sails fluttered delicately, creating, next to the sound of waves crushing against each other, the most beautiful sound, the sound with which his life was filled, the beloved sound, the beloved feeling of wind on his face, the feeling...

But it was not only the wind this time. It was something else. Something delicate and soft brushing tenderly against his cheek, his chin, his neck... He did not even notice when she came.

"I thought ye went to sleep, Lizzie", said Jack, his words almost inaudible, his voice surprisingly quivered with emotion. _She just kissed ye on the cheek mate cool down bugger bugger..._

"I'm not sleepy", said Elizabeth resting her head on Jack's arm.

"Ah", replied Jack wrapping his arm around her, and turning his head to look at her.

Elizabeth looked up at him and smiled sweetly, tracing leisurely his jawline with her fingertips.

For some reason tonight even that was just too much for him.

"I think ye should go to sleep, luv", he muttered, subconsciously contradicting himself by tightening his embrace around her.

Elizabeth thought that maybe he wanted to be alone. Alone, at the helm, steering the Pearl. He must have missed that. But then again he held her so close, that she could hardly move, not to mention walk away.

"Do you _really _want me to go, Jack?", she asked in this dangerous, curiosity-conversation-like tone of voice.

_Oh bugger Lizzie careful..._

He looked at her, and she noticed somewhat surprised that his breath was quickened, and there was that fiery glow in his eyes which she saw only once, on the island when he was explaining to her what the Black Pearl really was...

"I'm sorry for being angry with you for not telling me about the box and everything", said Elizabeth quietly, suddenly changing the mood, vacantly playing with the trinkets in his hair.

Jack's eyes flew wide open, as he listened to her, listened on the verge of disbelief.

"I should know better than getting upset while you actually rescued us..."

Jack blinked and blinked, and tried to comprehend what he was hearing. She sounded so soft, almost shy, she was _sorry... _It was quite unlike her. Although he knew of course that her trigger-happy temperament was slightly artificial, and she tended to exaggerate her negative emotions at times, but still... She sounded like an ordinary girl, and not like strong, brave, witty Elizabeth Swann. She sounded meek, vulnerable. She sounded... in love.

_Lizzie Lizzie..._

He failed to hear her next sentence, because the only thing he could think of was her closeness, the warmth of her body pressed to his, her hand absent-mindedly stroking his beard. His mind was clouding over, although he tried to think clearly, sensibly, logically, _politely. _One part of his mind was thinking about how unfair it would be to take advantage of the situation, of the atmosphere, while the other part was thinking about calling Gibbs to overtake the helm _immediately_...

"Jack?", Elizabeth looked up at him questioningly, having a feeling that he was not paying attention.

_Bugger bugger not fair bad evil bugger... Oh well. Pirate!_

He caught her off guard, restlessly crushing his burning lips against hers, holding her tightly in his arms, his fingers feverishly running across her face, tugging at her hair, caressing her neck, rarely breaking the kiss for mere seconds, hardly enough for catching a fraction of breath. Her lips were soft and sweet, and he could not think about ever tasting anything sweeter than her lips. They tasted of spring flowers, and the summer rain, and something that he has always longed for, but did not know what it was. And now he knew it was her. It was the feeling of being with her, caring for her, kissing her, loving her...

Elizabeth deepened the kiss, closing her arms around Jack's neck, fascinated by the fervent wave of pleasure that flowed through her body, frighteningly robbing her of any sense of cautiousness, of logic, of responsibility. She was nearly breathless, but she did not want to breath if breathing required breaking the kiss, interrupting the feeling of his rough, sea- and rum-scented lips on hers, even for a moment.

She did not even know when and how they suddenly found themselves in Jack's cabin. It was all happening at a dizzying pace. But she could not care less. It was not within her will power to stop him.

"Lizzie... I was... dreaming of you... do ye know... since I first saw ye...", he whispered dreamily, opening his eyes to look at her.

"Me too", she smiled, entranced by the expression on his face, by the look in his eyes. She has never thought Jack capable of such dreaminess. "That day... do you know what I was thinking, Jack?", she asked , stroking his face very gently.

"Do tell, darling", he grinned, smothering her neck with soft kisses.

"I wanted you to kiss me", whispered Elizabeth into his ear.

Jack looked at her with mock disbelief.

"Ye wanted a threatening, _despicable _pirate to kiss ye, luv?", he asked with a roguish smile, brushing a lock of her hair away from her face.

"Yes I did, for a while", said Elizabeth with a sigh, and pressed her lips against his. "But then I did my best to chase the thought away", she added in a barely audible whisper.

"But to no avail, I imagine", grinned Jack, clinging to her lips with his.

It made her giddy when she felt his hands slowly unfastening her dress, untying the tapes, undoing the clasps, struggling with the buttons...

It was almost impossible for Jack to break free from the music made by the sound of his name whispered by Elizabeth over and over again, but somewhere in the back of his mind he knew he had to take care of the ship yet, and this thought began echoing in his head annoyingly.

Whispering that he will be back in a moment, Jack sit Elizabeth down in a chair, and hurriedly went out of the cabin to find Gibbs, and give orders.

After successfully completing these tasks, including sending a half-asleep (or was he just drunk?) Gibbs at the helm, he was on his way back to Captain Quarters, when he ran into somebody on the stairs.

"Oi", muttered Jack chafing his forehead.

"We need to talk", said Will firmly.

"Anytime!", exclaimed Jack kindly. "Tomorrow", he added attempting to walk past him.

"Not tomorrow. Right now", said Will blocking the way.

Jack rolled his eyes.

"First thing in the morning, mate", replied Jack , patting Will on the shoulder, and pushing him aside.

"I said _right now_", repeated Will, his voice accompanied by the only too familiar sound of a sword being pulled out.

For the first time in his life, Jack was seriously tempted to actually shoot the whelp to death forthwith.


	24. Chapter 24

A/D 7 days to AWE!!!

Spoiler: Bye-bye.

Disclaimer: Disney owns Jack, Elizabeth, Will, etc. (Though I heard that after May 25. they're going to sell Will at e-bay...)

**Chapter 24**

Elizabeth sat motionlessly in the chair, dazed and stupefied, listening to her heart racing, still breathing with difficulty, keeping her eyes closed, feeling as if the room was spinning around.

She just wished for Jack to be back, so she would be freed from the necessity to fight all these second thoughts which were clarifying themselves in her mind, as she was gradually calming down, and regaining her common sense.

She sighed and opened her eyes, leaning her head against the back of the chair. There she was. In his cabin. In Jack's cabin. In the middle of the night. And not long time ago she would slap anybody who would even vaguely suggest that.

But it felt so incredibly wonderful to be in his arms. It felt safe.

Safe. Elizabeth straightened up in the chair, feeling suddenly uncomfortable. _Safe_ was the word she usually associated with Will. He was going to make her feel safe. Life with him would be safe. He would make sure she was always safe. What was more, with Will she did not need to worry about... morality. Will was no threat to her honor. He never made her feel so helplessly giddy. He never managed to pin her with his gaze. He never made the world disappear with his kiss. Not that he ever really tried. They spent countless hours together walking, talking, sword fighting... Yes. Sword fighting. Sometimes she felt that it was the only thing she could do with Will without feeling apathetic about it...

But she did not want to think about Will anymore. Especially after he lied to her, and after he tried to actually trade Jack to Harness... Elizabeth cringed. She almost forgot about this last incident! Enough of Will. He was not worth feeling guilty about all the time.

Besides, she had better things to think of. A smile flickered across her face, as she thought about Jack. Jack. This brought her to asking the question where he actually was right now? Shouldn't he be already back by now?

Elizabeth stood up, and looked around the cabin. It was dimly lit, and not too large, but rather cozy. In the middle of the cabin stood a wooden table covered with maps, and other papers. Elizabeth moved towards it. When she started to walk, she noticed that her dress was slipping down her shoulders. She blushed remembering that Jack actually began unfastening her dress. She suddenly felt rather embarrassed. She really should not let him... But he just had such an overpowering effect on her. It was sweet and it simultaneously scared her.

Elizabeth tried to fix the dress, but could not really do it, as she was unable to reach the straps and buttons on the back of it. _Bloody dress._

She sat down in Jack's chair by the table, and ran her hand over everything that was lying there. She wanted to touch everything that he has touched... It was strange, but somehow it was making her feel closer to him. She could feel Jack in this cabin. Surprisingly, the cabin was rather neatly kept. She would think Jack was rather disorganized a person, but it seemed that she might have been wrong.

Elizabeth stood up, noticing Jack's coat on the floor. She did not even remember pulling it off... Her heart was beating faster once again, as she thought about him. She used to hear so many things about love. Her mother warned her once that it was not like in the books; that in real life it was different. And she was right. It was not like in the stories she has read. Elizabeth smiled to herself. No. It was better.

The coat was somewhat heavy, and she noticed something sticking out of the pocket. It was a pistol, but it was not Jack's pistol. It was the pistol from Philip Fairwood, the pistol with which Jack shot Harness.

Elizabeth took it out and not really knowing what to do with it, she put the pistol on the table.

Turning around, she discovered a door , that she has not seen before. She hesitated for a moment, but then smiled, as it crossed her mind that as _Mrs. Captain Jack_ _Sparrow_ she will have a right to go wherever she wanted on the _Black Pearl_. The ship was going to be her home, so she may as well start getting to know it better already. She pressed the knob, and walked in through the door.

* * *

"Are ye going to talk or try to kill me again? I'm just curious", asked Jack with mild irritation. 

"Kill you? That's amusing. I thought you were the one trying to kill me all the time", observed Will bitterly.

Jack looked sincerely hurt. Will sneered.

"You wanted to trade me to Barbossa, then you hoped to have me eaten by those cannibals, not mentioning tricking me on the _Flying Dutchman_. Unless it wasn't you, of course", he said staring at his sword for a moment, and then hesitantly putting it away.

"I didn't mean to hurt yer feelings", replied Jack, hoping to promptly conclude the conversation."Besides, in most of these cases ye actually... volunteered." Will raised his eyebrows. "So it wasn't my fault, really. However, if ye consider it necessary for yer mental health to assume my responsibility for those unfortunate accidents, be my guest", said Jack with a smirk. "See ye in the morning", he added, swiftly turning around.

"It wasn't what I wanted to talk about", said Will with grim determination.

Jack sighed loudly, and turned to him.

"What do ye _want_ to talk about then?", he asked staring at him impatiently, his mind fixed on an image of Elizabeth waiting for him in his cabin _bugger bugger_.

"I want you to tell me what do you want from Elizabeth", recited Will, his face suddenly expressionless.

"Ye keep asking this question...", started Jack in a suddenly serious tone of voice. "And the fact that ye keep asking this question indicates that ye wouldn't understand the answer even if I'd give ye an answer which I shall not as ye'd not understand an answer to the question ye asked, because ye asked it. So..."

"Don't waste your time on these elaborate replies, Jack. Maybe they impress Elizabeth, but they don't impress me."

A smile flickered across Jack's face, but he said nothing.

"Do you want to disgrace her? Why? Why are you doing this? Can't you just leave her alone? Leave us alone?", said Will sharply.

Jack chuckled at "disgrace", but tried to keep a straight face.

"And may I enquire as to who puts such funny ideas in your head, William?"

"And what exactly do you call a funny idea?", asked Will coldly.

"_Us_", replied Jack, knowing that perhaps he should not be saying this, but for some reason just could not resist saying it. "There's no _us. _I don't think _you_ should be referring to _yourself _and to _my_ fiancée as _us_."

"This is the absolute height of impudence!", exclaimed Will, his face going as white as a sheet. "How dare you!", he continued, his sword drawn out already. "You were hunting for her from the very beginning!", shouted Will, walking towards Jack with his sword threateningly aimed at him.

_Hunting?!_ Jack rolled his eyes in exasperation, and resignedly reached for his sword.

"I pieced it all together now! At the very beginning, you agreed to help me with Barbossa, after I told you that they had taken Elizabeth!"

"Actually-", Jack was about to add something, but Will's sword flashed right before his face, so he broke off.

"Then, on that cannibal island, you were going to let them eat me. You didn't even seem to recognize me. Not until I told you that Elizabeth was facing the gallows!" The blade of Will's sword whistled past Jack's nose fo inches.

"Ye exaggerate-", observed Jack, walking backwards, and suddenly finding himself on the upper deck.

It was rather dark, and the deck was empty, dimly lit by the light of the moon. Not a perfect setting for a duel. Unless one wished to be killed in the process.

"And then...", Will hesitated.

"Then I tricked ye on the _Flying Dutchman_", offered Jack promptly. "Ye've already said that", he added in a slightly annoyed tone of voice.

Will gave him a hard look, and kept silent for a moment.

"Just admit you wanted her from the beginning. You planned it!", he said morosely.

"Planned it?", exclaimed Jack, almost with disgust. "Ye think I _planned_ her to fall in love with me-"

Will stroke out so fast, that Jack hardly managed to stop Will's blade with his.

"She is _not_ in love with you", breathed Will angrily.

"Ah. And do ye know where she's not in love with me right now?", asked Jack, really attacking for the first time, as the question was followed by an unexpected hit that nearly caught Will off guard.

"So? Where's she?", sneered Will, stepping forward.

Jack stepped forward as well, more actually tired than angry, but nevertheless, for some reason quite irritated. As he was moving closer, he said in a low, yet firm tone of voice, what sounded almost like a threat:

"Ye know exactly where she is."

The sound of clinging metal echoed strangely across the night.

* * *

Behind the door, there was yet another room, but smaller than the other. In the middle of the room stood a bed, covered with colorful, orientally embroidered blankets, which Elizabeth found very beautiful. She could not help sinking into the soft covers and pillows, the very sight of which was making her feel drowsy. She laid down, holding Jack's coat tightly, and closed her eyes. 

It was strangely intoxicating, laying in his bed, surrounded with what belonged to him. She could feel his scent on the coat, and on the pillows. He was everywhere. He was everywhere around, and he was in her mind, in her heart. Elizabeth closed her eyes, and breathed deeply. She wanted to surrender to that feeling, no matter what it might bring. No matter what would happen. No matter how senseless, how perilous, how mad it might be.

_Where are you. _It was not a question. She was too tired to ask questions. It was just longing. A desperate longing. A longing that hurt. She missed him. Even though she knew he will be back soon, she still missed him as if a hundred years passed since she last saw him, and another hundred was there for her to wait. Time was painful. And vicious. Time was doing wicked things with minutes, turning them into what seemed to be years. She could almost scream. Love was not only sweet. Love was hell as long as he was not there.

Elizabeth was slowly falling asleep, images flashing before her eyes. _Jack. Jack. _Images of him. _Jack. _As if there was nothing else to imagine. Nothing else to remember. _Jack_. She needed not anything else. She did not want anything else. _I love you..._

She fell asleep.

* * *

It merely surprised him, the way Jack was handling the fight. He thought that it would be easier, than it actually was. As if Jack only pretended before to be rather a clumsy, and chaotic sword fighter. Yet another side of Captain Jack Sparrow, Will could not help thinking with bitterness. He felt exhausted. Not physically, but emotionally. Jack was defending himself with his sword almost effortlessly. And what was terrifying, was not so much the fact itself, but rather the novelty of it. Will subconsciously considered himself to be a better sword fighter, although he never thought about it explicitly. But now, even this vague conviction was not that certain. _He was lying even about that. _

"Are there not enough wenches in Tortuga?", asked Will, his eyes as cold as ever. "You have to turn Elizabeth in one of them too?"

Will fell. His sword slipped out of his grasp. At first, he did not know what happened, he just felt something warm, and wet streaming down his face. Blood. Blood from his nose. He did not know whether his nose was broken or not, but it was certainly bleeding. Will blinked, feeling slightly stupefied, as he came to the realization that he did not get hit with a sword. Jack did not strike him. He punched him. He punched him in the face.

"You really overstepped the mark this time", said Jack in a low voice. There was this solemn look in his eyes that Will remembered from the pirates cave, when Jack shot Barbossa. "I want you out of this ship by tomorrow", he added, putting away his sword.

Will stared at him in silence. Jack took a few steps to where Will's sword was lying, and picked it up. Will followed him with his gaze.

Jack looked at the sword for a while, and then, without a word, threw it overboard. Will cringed, but said nothing. Jack shot him a pensive look, and yet before walking away, said in a fairly quiet, but resolute and unequivocal tone of voice:

"Elizabeth - is mine."


	25. Chapter 25

A/N: **To my wonderful reviewers: thank you very much for your reviews:)**

Please appreciate the general peacefulness of this chapter... It will not last forever... (evil grin;)

Spoiler: Author: _"The calm before the storm..."_ / Ragetti: _"Literally or figuratively?"_ / Author (_irritated_): "_We did have a literal storm already, didn't we?"_

Disclaimer: I don't own POTC.

**Chapter 25**

He watched her sleeping. He watched her with curiosity, wondering how she could ever fall in love with him. He stroked her hair very gently, as to not wake her up, trying to imagine the future that he has never thought he might have. He has never thought about the future. There was no future. Pirates did not have future. Every day could be the last, and nothing was important enough to care, if the next day would indeed prove itself to be final.

He has never had anything. Neither a family, nor a home, not even a house. Sometimes he felt as if he came from nowhere. Appeared, at some point, having only his life to carry on with. And he did not really know what he would do with it. Until he discovered that he belonged to the sea. Until he became a pirate. And then, later on, when he has got the_ Black Pearl, _he finally has got something that he could call _his_. And he hoped for nothing more. It was good enough. And it was even more than he has ever expected.

And among the things that he least expected was also something that he now had. He had somebody who loved him, and whom he loved. The simplicity of it was almost embarrassing, but it was something unimaginably wonderful, nevertheless.

He fell asleep, but then woke up again, and just watched her sleeping, thinking about the past, and about the future. Now, there was future. Now - he did care.

Elizabeth woke up and opened her eyes. It was still dark yet. She wondered what time it could be. She slowly turned over onto her left side, and then she came face to face with Jack, who looked at her with his head propped up on his elbow.

"Hello Lizzie", he said with a smile.

"Jack!", Elizabeth smiled faintly, not completely awake yet. "Is it still night?", she asked with a drowsy smile, moving closer to him.

"It's almost daylight, luv", said Jack, putting his arm around her, and hugging her close.

"Where were you, Jack?", asked Elizabeth, cuddling up to him. "I was waiting, and waiting", she sighed sleepily, "and waiting..."

Jack propped her chin with his hand, and looked her deeply in the eyes.

"I'm here now", he whispered, and kissed her passionately on the mouth.

"But where have you been?", asked Elizabeth, breaking the kiss, trying to sound serious. In fact, she found it quite amusing, noticing Jack's sheer disappointment with her insistence on _that _topic, instead of another one.

"I had to take care of our ship, darling", replied Jack defensively, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand.

Elizabeth fluttered her eyelashes, and a trace of a smile flashed across her face. She straightened up, and sat on the bed, looking at Jack quizzically.

"What's wrong, luv?" Jack looked slightly bewildered. He quickly realized the mistake he was making lately. Namely, he was carelessly forgetting that his beautiful, lovely Lizzie was also the unpredictable Miss Elizabeth Swann.

But this time unpredictability did not mean aloofness.

"Nothing, Jack", said Elizabeth softly. "It's just that... you said... it's _our_ ship."

Jack straightened up briskly.

"Of course it is!", he exclaimed resolutely, noticing at the same time that Elizabeth's dress was slipping down her shoulders.

She smiled, but then noticed his gaze, and tried to fix the dress, somewhat irritated.

"I actually thought it all over", she said pointlessly pulling up the sleeves, which were stubbornly slipping down all the same. "And-"

"And what?", broke in Jack, pulling her towards him, with a mischievous grin.

"And", Elizabeth wanted to continue, but his face was just too close.

"And this is why, ye were sleeping with me coat in yer arms, aye?", he asked, enjoying the dwindling of her self-assurance.

"No", countered Elizabeth, narrowing her eyes. "I decided not to compromise my-", she stopped in mid-sentence, as his lips began wandering along her neck, and her bare shoulders. "Jack!..."

Jack looked up at her, grinned, and caught her lips in a fervent kiss.

"Jack..."

"Yes, I also have a feeling that this is where we left off yesterday...", he whispered.

A certain thought rapidly flashed across Elizabeth's mind.

"My father!", she exclaimed.

"Where?!", Jack cringed, looking around.

"Oh, not here", said Elizabeth nervously, breaking free from Jack's embrace, and slipping out of the bed. "But when he wakes up, he will wonder, where I am. I must go back to the cabin I told him I would sleep in", she explained, rushing towards the door.

Jack rolled his eyes, and went after her.

"Jack, could you...?", she smiled faintly, turning back to him, so he could fasten her dress.

He stared at it for a moment, until her request eventually reached him. While he was fastening the dress (which he merely attempted to unfasten), it occurred to him that he had very little experience in fastening dresses. Unfastening, sure. But fastening?... Especially without really unfastening it in the first place before...

When he finished, he spun Elizabeth around, and locked her in his arms.

"That's not fair, luv", he said, putting a sad expression on his face.

Elizabeth laughed, and brushed her lips against his.

"You're such a lier, Jack."

He stared at her questioningly.

"I know exactly where you were last night", said Elizabeth, entangling her fingers in his dreadlocks.

"Ye do?", asked Jack doubtfully.

"Yes", nodded Elizabeth. "And I'm proud of you, Jack", she said softly, with a smile.

Jack blinked, trying to figure out what she was talking about. Could she possibly be proud of him because he punched the whelp? Well... Probably not. Especially, that there was no way she could know about it already.

"That's... nice of ye, luv, to say so", he said, smiling hesitantly.

"No, that's nice of _you_, Jack", smiled Elizabeth, and hit him playfully on the shoulder. "I mean... noble of you."

Jack's eyes went wide open in sudden comprehension, as he finally understood what she was talking of. She thought that he did not come, because... _Oh, dear. Oh, my sweet, naive Lizzie. _

"Yes, yes", he chuckled. "Yes", he sighed, realizing that now it was not possible to drag her back to his bed chamber, as he vaguely planned. Well, at least he gained some respectability in her eyes. Undeservedly, but still... Not that he prefect respectability over...

"Jack, you're hurt!", exclaimed Elizabeth, suddenly noticing something.

"Hurt?", asked Jack confused once again.

"Your arm!", said Elizabeth worryingly, delicately touching his shoulder.

Jack looked at his arm. Their was blood on the upper part of his sleeve.

"Oh, that", he waved his hand dismissively. "Hardly a scratch, Lizzie. That ships' stealer's bullet barely brushed me. Don't worry, my lovely luv", he grinned, and kissed her.

She temporarily gave up, letting him kiss her as long as he wanted, except that he apparently did not intended to stop at all, so, regrettably, she had to make him stop at some point.

"Well, Captain Sparrow, I'm going to worry about whatever I choose to worry about", stated Elizabeth decisively. "And I'm certainly going to worry about my husband's... my fiancé... your wounds."

"I'm flattered", smirked Jack, looking at her intently, delightedly studying her glimmering eyes. He loved the way she reacted to his kisses, surrendering completely, leaving herself at his mercy, even if she pretended to be in a perfect control of the situation. And the way she always tried to change the topic.

"Good", Elizabeth tried to sound matter-of-factly. "Now I'm going to cleanse this", she said resolutely, and went away to get some water. "Do you have a clean cloth, Jack?", she asked.

He did have. And he was really happy seeing her worrying about him. It was yet another new thing in his life.

Elizabeth sat Jack down on the bed, and poured water on the small cotton cloth.

"Take your shirt off, Jack", she said plainly.

"I like where this conversation's going", said Jack with a roguish smile.

"Jack!", she exclaimed sharply. " I'm serious."

"I hope so. But ye know, Lizzie... Ye really don't need to put so much effort in inventing pretexts just to see me naked. A polite request would do."

Elizabeth was about to scold him for these musings, but then he actually did take his shirt off, and it utterly distracted her from the prospect of yelling, so she remained silent.

The "wound" was indeed insignificant, and it actually looked more like a bruise, except for some blood around it. He shuddered lightly, when she touched him.

"Oh, I'm sorry", muttered Elizabeth, thinking that he shuddered because of the pain brought by her cleansing attempts.

Jack said nothing. He just stared at her. She felt his stare, and it was making her blush even more than she was already. She tried to focus on what she was doing, but it was quite difficult to ignore the fact that she was in love with him, and he was half-naked, and she has not seen a half-naked man whom she was in love with before. Why she did not ask him just to roll up his sleeve?!...

Jack watched her intently, feeling stranger and stranger with every second. He did not want her to take her hands off him. She was touching him very gently, cleansing the wound carefully, and then applying a dressing. It did not escape his notice, that her hands were slightly trembling. He himself was nearly shivering, and he could feel his heartbeat in his ears. He could not recall any woman who had such an effect on him before. It was almost unbearable.

"There...", whispered Elizabeth contently when she finished, and was going to take her hands away, but Jack caught her wrists, and pulled her towards him, pressing his lips against her ravenously.

Elizabeth nigh unconsciously began running her hands across his chest, and his back, utterly amazed by the sensation caused by the contact with his bare skin.

Miraculously, she managed to brake the kiss.

"Put a fresh shirt on, Jack", whispered Elizabeth, and ran out of the room, slamming the doors behind her. When she got to the corridor, she leaned against the wall, and regaining her breath with difficulty, she said to herself with a forced smile: _I'm proud of you, Elizabeth._

She walked slowly down the corridor, smirking to herself, deep in thought, unable to notice that she just walked past somebody standing in the shadow...


	26. Chapter 26

A/D: Two days to AWE?!

Disclaimer: POTC belong to Disney.

**Chapter 26**

Governor Swann woke up with a headache, and a discomforting notion of being on a pirate ship.

Somehow he failed to fully acknowledge this fact the day before. And now it just hit him with full force. It was more than inappropriate for him, a governor appointed by the King, to be in such a place, he thought. With such people... He sighed with concern, and stood up, although he still felt rather tired.

It made him feel a little better, when he washed his face. He wondered what time it was, and went out of the cabin, then knocked on the door of the adjacent room.

"Elizabeth?", he called hesitantly, but received no answer. "Elizabeth?"

He waited for a moment, and then pressed the doorknob. Strangely, what he saw did not surprise him, although he was appalled nonetheless. The cabin was empty, and the bed untouched.

"Good morning, father", the Governor heard a quiet voice behind him.

"Elizabeth", he turned around, and looked at her questioningly.

"I...", she started with a small smile, wishing she was here five minutes earlier. "I woke up early, and-"

"Just do not lie to me, Elizabeth", he said with some irritation, but at the same time almost pleadingly.

"We were just talking", she said quietly, but in a very serious tone of voice. _And kissing... And..._

"I see", said Governor Swann after a moment of silence. There was something in her eyes that told him she was telling the truth. Or at least _mostly_ the truth. The image of a pirate _talking _throughout the night with a girl who thought the world of him, seemed less than hardly credible. However...

"I wish you knew him for who he really is", said Elizabeth, staring sadly at her father.

"And who is he really?", echoed quietly the Governor, with a faint, uncertain smile.

Elizabeth took a few steps forward, and looking him straight in the eye, said softly:

"He is a good man. He is brave, reliable", her face brightened.

"Reliable", the Governor could not help chuckling a little.

"And he loves me. He knows me. He believes in me."

"Elizabeth-", Governor Swann tried to broke in.

"I'm happy with him", she stated feverishly.

"Elizabeth, I do want you to be happy, and I hope you are aware of that, but...", he hesitated. "You don't think about the reality. About the world around you."

"He is my world", said Elizabeth impatiently.

The Governor sighed, and smiled helplessly.

"I am talking about the world that we all live in. About the world from which there is no escape", Elizabeth wanted to interrupt, but he went on. "About the law. About the society. About me. You realize that there is no place in this world for a royal official affiliated with outlaws. With pirates. I do not want you to think that I value my social position more than your happiness, but..."

"I know you don't", said Elizabeth in a low voice. "And I understand. But..."

"Good day!", said Gibbs, who suddenly appeared. "Governor Swann. Elizabeth."

"Good day Mr. Gibbs", nodded the Governor, forcing a smile.

"Would you wish to eat some breakfast, perhaps?", he asked smiling at them.

The Governor looked at him thoughtfully, and then asked, as if suddenly remembering something:

"Are we sailing in any specific direction?"

Gibbs considered the question for a moment, and then somewhat hesitantly admitted that they were currently heading for Tortuga (Governor Swann looked at the ceiling and sighed), but they plan staying there for a very, very, very short time only.

* * *

Jack reluctantly, yet obediently put a fresh shirt on, as he was told to do. _Lizzie Lizzie_. 

He went to the other room, and sat by the table, noticing the pistol with which he shot Harness. He picked it up disinterestedly, and played with it absent-mindedly, when suddenly it opened, and two bullets fell from the magazine, and rolled on the table. Jack narrowed his eyes, caught one of the bullets, and examined it closely. _Oh, bugger._

* * *

Everybody was waiting for Jack at breakfast, but for some reason he was not showing up. Will told Gibbs that he would not eat, and Elizabeth did not even got to see him, but it did not bother her much. What bothered her was Jack. She thought that maybe he was making a fuss because she left him so abruptly in his cabin. He was being infantile at times, really. At last, she decided to go and see what was keeping him from coming, leaving the Governor and Gibbs alone at the table. 

"I always knew there was something going on between-", started Gibbs smilingly, with careless cheerfulness, but meeting the Governor's steady gaze, he resolved to eating his breakfast in silence.

* * *

"Jack?", Elizabeth came in, without knocking. 

The room was empty, but she noticed the bedroom door being ajar, so she decided to look in there.

"Jack!", she exclaimed, when he saw him lying on the bed.

"Why-", she began peevishly, planning to ask him why he was not coming, or even answering her when she called him, but then she noticed something in his face, that appalled her. "Jack", she whispered, and sat by him, cupping his face in her hands. She touched his forehead, and it was frighteningly hot. "You have a fever", she muttered more to herself than to him.

He looked at her half-consciously, his eyes strangely glassy.

"I think I don't feel too well, luv", he said in a barely audible whisper, a ghost of a smile flickering across his face.

Elizabeth stared at him terrified. He was not pretending. She did not understand what was happening. Just an hour ago everything was perfectly fine, and he was feeling as good as ever.

"It's alright", she whispered reassuringly, stroking his hair in a nervous gesture. "We'll be soon in Tortuga, I'll send somebody for your doctor friend, it can't be nothing serious anyway, just a fever, just-", she found herself at loss of words.

But it did not matter, because he did not seem to be listening. His eyelids fell, almost involuntarily, and to Elizabeth's terror she realized, that he lost consciousness.

She ran out of the room to tell her father and Gibbs what has happened, and the came back immediately, with cold water and towels, with which she hoped to make the temperature go down.

He breathed steadily, but his breath was shallow. Elizabeth brushed one of his dreadlocks away from his face, and kissed him gently on the cheek. She felt so lost and scared, and she tried to fight a disturbing suspicion that it was not a common illness, some accidental fever. It was too unexpected and strange to be normal.

She noticed that despite the high fever, he was shivering, as if he was very cold. She bundled him up in a blanket to keep him warm, and then put a small cloth in a bowl with cold water, to prepare a compress.

She thought that she needed to take off his headband. She leaned towards him, and tried to find the knot to untie it, and then he slowly opened his eyes. She sighed with relief seeing that he has regained consciousness.

"Oh, Jack", she whispered, and placed a soft kiss on his mouth.

He smiled weakly, but said nothing, and closed his eyes again.

"Can I take it off?", she asked quietly, gently untying the bandana. He did not answer.

When she finally took it off, she saw a large, deep scar that ran across his forehead. She did not even try to imagine how he had got it. And how much it must have hurt. Elizabeth trailed a few kisses along the scar, before placing a cold compress on his forehead. She was close to tears. She was not prepared for seeing him like that. He was the survivor. He was the rescuer. And now he was somewhere where she could not reach him. It flashed through her mind that maybe he was like that in Davy Jones' Locker. He has never told her anything specific about the Locker. He pretended to ignore it, he pretended that he did not remember, but she knew that he remembered, and just did not want to talk about it.

"How's he?", she heard a whisper behind her.

Elizabeth turned around. It was Gibbs, who came in noiselessly.

"I don't know", she answered in a faltering voice. "I think he's conscious now, but...", she broke off. "I don't know."

"We're sailing as fast as we can", Gibbs assured her, and very troubled left the Captain's Quarters.

Elizabeth stared at Jack, biting her lower lip nervously, but determined not to cry. She changed the compress, but his brow was still burning all the same. He grimaced, and mumbled something.

"Jack", she kept caressing his face, and kissing his fevered cheeks, not able to think about anything better to do at the moment. She wished they could get to Tortuga at once, and bring Philip Fairwood on board. She hoped he will know what to do.

"Liz...", whispered Jack, turning his head right and left in a nervous manner.

"I'm here, Jack", Elizabeth leaned down to him, trying to calm him down. "It's alright. It'll be alright."

"Where's... Where's...", he mumbled. "Where's Lizzie..."

"I'm here", she repeated weakly, on the verge of tears. She was afraid he could lose consciousness again.

"What did she... Why...", he breathed heavily. "Why did she do that... for..."

Elizabeth froze. He was raving in his half-sleep, or whatever it was the state he was in. But even worse from the raving itself was its subject matter. She could not help thinking that he was talking about... So it still was somewhere deep inside of him. So it was still on his mind, somehow. It still hurt.

She changed the compress again, and he cringed, and opened his eyes.

"Eliza... beth", he smiled faintly.

"Yes", she tried to smile back, and delicately kissed his fevered lips.

She saw he tried to lift his hand, but it fell down, before he managed to raise it.

"Don't do anything, just rest", she said quietly, stroking his face gently.

She leaned her face against his, and stayed like that for a long time, drawing away from time to time only in order to change a compress, waiting impatiently for the words that came at last:

"We're reaching Tortuga", announced Gibbs, suddenly appearing in the doorway.

* * *

"Miss Swann? If my memory doesn't betray me", said Philip Fairwood, as he came in. 

"It's Elizabeth", she said, smiling faintly.

The doctor nodded, and smiled, and looked at Jack, and stopped smiling. Then he took a chair, and put it near the bed, placing his medical toolbox on the chair.

"Now, Elizabeth", started Philip Fairwood, leaning over Jack. "I need you to tell me what exactly happened", he said, removing the blanket.

"I did it for the shivers...", she said quietly.

"That's alright. But I have-"

Elizabeth's eyes flew wide-open, as she noticed blood all over Jack's sleeve. The doctor skillfully tore the sleeve off.

"I put a dressing there, it did not look like that before, it was almost nothing, it-", Elizabeth then began explaining what had happened, beginning with the tempest, then everything that had happened on Isla de Dolor, ending with how Harness' bullet had brushed Jack's arm, and how Harness had been shot.

The doctor listened to her carefully, cleansing the wound, which looked terrible, not at all as it looked before. Elizabeth observed everything almost involuntarily, she was horrified, but could not stop looking. She did not want to miss anything that concerned Jack.

The doctor applied some strangely looking medicine on the wound, and then put a fresh dressing on it. Then, he examined Jack, taking his pulse.

"You see, Elizabeth", he said pensively. "If Harness would be dead, there would be no mark after his bullet. It wouldn't have any effect."

She stared at him in silence.

"He is on the ship? Is that what you mean?", she asked hesitantly.

"Maybe", replied the doctor, but he seemed rather certain.

"We should take Jack out of the ship, then", said Elizabeth, looking at Philip Fairwood questioningly.

"Not in his actual condition", said the doctor cautiously, avoiding her gaze.

Elizabeth shuddered, but did not dare to ask what it meant. Because she knew what it meant. It meant that he was not well. Not well at all.

She looked back at Jack, trying not to think about it. She wanted to change the compress, but hesitated, not knowing whether Jack wanted anybody to know about the scar.

"Go on", said Philip Fairwood, noticing her vacillation. "I know what's there. I sewed it up", he added, and sat down on the chair, putting his box on the floor.

Elizabeth looked at him, and wanted to say something, but then he asked:

"Where is this-"

"It should be in the other room on the table", broke in Elizabeth, anticipating the question. "I put it there myself yesterday."

The doctor went to the other room, and searched the table.

"It's not there", he said plainly, as he came back, without a trace of surprise in his voice. "I guess the worst is still before us", he added solemnly.

Elizabeth said nothing. She just took Jack's hand in hers, and closed her eyes.


	27. Chapter 27

A/N: **Thank you for all the reviews:)**

A/D: I'm going to see AWE tomorrow!:)

Spoiler: There's no Will in this chapter. (Unlike in AWE, I imagine...)

Disclaimer: POTC belong to Disney.

**Chapter 27**

Elizabeth was not to be persuaded to leave Jack even for a moment. She refused to get some rest, she refused to eat, she refused to drink. The Governor looked into the cabin several times, always finding Elizabeth by the headboard of the bed, her arm wrapped around Jack, and her head leaning against his.

Philip Fairwood has given Jack some medicine which caused the temperature to drop slightly. But he still had a fairly high fever, and to Elizabeth's dismay, was repeatedly losing and regaining consciousness.

Elizabeth tried to appear calm, although it did not escape the doctor's notice, that in the reality she was more than terrified, and emotionally exhausted.

His first impression of her was already favorable. He liked her from the very beginning, since she and Jack visited him the other night. Firstly, she was beautiful (which for him was always a good reason for liking a woman), and secondly, she appeared to be very much in love with Jack. And Philip Fairwood had a great admiration for people who were capable of being very much in love. Life taught him, that it was a fairly rare thing in the world.

And Jack, on the other hand, also appeared to be very much in love with her. The doctor remembered that that night on Tortuga, when he and Jack had finished talking, Jack had gone to the room where the girl had been sleeping, and had stared at her for a long time before going to sleep himself. Actually , he had been doing more or less what the girl was doing right now. He had looked at her, stroked her hair, kissed her from time to time. And then he had gone to sleep in the armchair. Captain Jack Sparrow. Who would have thought of that.

Philip Fairwood always considered Jack to be a lucky man. Except when it came to love. Not women, of course. He was exceptionally successful with women. But love was a totally different story. And Jack was not a falling-in-love type. Neither were the women he knew of this type either, to tell the truth. But so it seemed now that he underestimated Jack's fortune in this respect, after all.

"May I ask how you met 'im, Elizabeth?", asked the doctor, after a long moment of silence. They were watching over Jack for over four hours now, talking mostly about his condition, and the situation in general, or just sitting quietly, waiting, although not really knowing for what.

Elizabeth lifted her head, and looked at him.

"He saved me", she answered with a faint smile. "He saved me from drowning."

"Ah", nodded Philip Fairwood. "That's what you call a fortunate accident, I guess", he said with a smile. "You know, when you two came over to my house the other night, I asked him if he hadn't kidnapped you, or something."

Elizabeth kissed Jack softly on the cheek, and smiled.

"No", she said quietly. "But sometimes I wish he did, right then, on the very first day. Many things wouldn't have happened...", she added pensively.

"There are always bad things that can happen no matter how hard we try to avoid them", said Philip Fairwood thoughtfully. "It's overcoming the obstacles that counts and matters most. Maybe this is even all that really matters."

Elizabeth gave him a sad look, and snuggled her cheek against Jack's. His breath was steady, but still shallow. From time to time he would open his eyes, or mutter something; most frequently – her name. And every time he did that, she felt like crying.

"Would you like to drink something, Elizabeth?", asked Philip Fairwood after a pause.

"No, thank you. I'm fine."

He did not expect any other answer, but wanted to try asking, nevertheless.

"If you excuse me, I'll get something for myself, then", the doctor stood up, and went away, leaving Elizabeth alone with Jack.

It was late in the afternoon, and it was fairly dark in the cabin. Should Jack wake up, they did not want to dazzle his eyes with sudden brightness, so they covered little windows in the cabin. Elizabeth stroked gently Jack's face with her fingertips, trailing soft kisses all over his face. Somewhere deep inside she thought that maybe it would make him feel better, maybe in some miraculous way it would cure him.

If a kiss could kill, it should be also capable of bringing back to life, shouldn't it?

"I just can't decide...", a strange voice emerged, as if out of nowhere.

The sound of this voice startled Elizabeth. She looked up, trying to see if there was somebody in the doorway. The voice sounded somewhat familiar, but not quite. Yet, she could see nobody. Then, she looked around, and to her utter dismay, she noticed somebody sitting on the doctor's chair. But the person there was not Philip Fairwood. It was somebody else.

"It's so hard to decide", the man spoke again. "What would be more enjoyable, killing him and watch your reaction, or killing you, and watch his?"

The man looked up, and although it was rather dark in the cabin, Elizabeth recognized him. She instinctively drew nearer to Jack, who was now asleep, his head snuggled into Elizabeth's neck. She suddenly felt very much alone.

"But of course, death is not all that fascinating, after all. There are greatest ways to make people suffer", said Harness, playing with his pistol, taking out the bullets, then putting them back inside.

"What do you want?", asked Elizabeth , trying to keep her voice as cold and indifferent as possible.

She could see Harness' eyes glistening in the darkness. He did not answer.

"We didn't do anything to you", Elizabeth went on, trying to regain her self-confidence. "_He_ didn't do anything. He did not even steal your ship. You were... you are dead. The ship was dead! You should be grateful, if you really cared that much of the _Black Pearl_. He brought her back to life. He traded his soul for this ship!", suddenly the anger overcame her fear.

"I didn't ask him for that, did I?",interrupted her Harness,somewhat annoyed. "And he did get his soul back, apparently, didn't he? So-"

"Leave him alone!", she shouted. She hoped that Philip Fairwood would be back soon.

"I may", said the captain drily. "That's why I'm here, really. I may cure him", he said, tapping the barrel of his pistol. "Or I may kill him. The choice is yours", he added with a sneer.

"I want you to leave him alone", repeated Elizabeth in a quiet, but calm and firm tone of voice, although she was petrified, and she felt her heart beating furiously in her chest.

"I did expect you to prefer _this_ option", replied Harness with something that looked like a smile. "So... this is what you have to do. As soon as I leave this room he'll start feeling better, until, in no time, he'll recover completely. Then you'll have three hours."

"For what?", asked Elizabeth angrily, her face as white as a sheet, but her voice steady.

"For telling him... No. Actually not merely telling. For _convincing_ him that you do not love him."

"What?", Elizabeth's eyes widened in disbelief.

"I think you did hear what I said", hissed Harness in a low tone of voice.

"He will never believe it", said Elizabeth through her teeth.

"So do something to make him believe. That's your problem. And before said three hours are over, you have to leave him, step out of this ship, and never see him again. Then, and only then he will live, and I may even let him sail away on my ship", he added, after a moment of mock-consideration.

Elizabeth looked at him in silence. Was this nightmare real? Was it really happening?

"And if I-", she started, but he cut her off.

"If you say no, I make sure that he will die the most agonizing and excruciating death imaginable", he smiled noticing the flash of terror in her eyes. "So? Shall I grant him life - or death?"


	28. Chapter 28

A/N: **Thank you for all the wonderful reviews!:):)**

A/D: Oh AWE awe!...?...:0...;) I've seen the movie yesterday, but since not everybody who's reading this has necessarily seen it already as well, I don't think I should be commenting on it in detail here, so I just say that it was awesome & the music was amazing, but... No. No spoilers. I promised, right?;)

Disclaimer: I don't own POTC.

**Chapter 28**

Will was fast asleep, when Gibbs knocked on his door to invite him for breakfast. But Will did not want to eat. He did not want anything. He decided to step on land as soon as they made port (not that he had much choice either...) He just wanted to forget, forget about everything, everybody... _Elizabeth – is mine_. He shuddered.

But it was so difficult to forget. _How many times should I ask you to call me Elizabeth? _Did she say _should_? Did she say _must_? Oddly, he could not remember. His memories were disappearing. Slowly, detail, by detail, but incessantly and continuously, nevertheless. Maybe one day he will remember nothing. Maybe one day he will be free. It was unthinkable right now, but someday it was bound to happen. Someday it will happen. Someday...

Will sat on the bed, and buried his face in his hands. How strange his life has become. And he never wanted a strange life. He wanted the most ordinary life imaginable. And yet, he could not have it.

It was already late afternoon, when he finally went out of the cabin. He felt that the ship was rather still. Did they make port? He could not tell. But he could tell that the ship was strangely quiet.

On the stairs, he came across a man whom he has not seen before. The man shot him a quizzical look, but Will just went past him wordlessly. He did not care who he was. He did not care about anything. To his surprise, he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry...", started Philip Fairwood hesitantly.

Will turned around and looked at him wearily.

"If you don't mind telling me... what's happened to your face, boy?", asked the doctor with a friendly smile.

Will stared at him for a moment.

"Why should you care?", he asked, almost annoyed.

"Well", Philip Fairwood chuckled at this display of irritation. "I'm a doctor. I'm just curious."

"Oh", Will acknowledged quietly. "Nothing", he added dismissively, and attempted to walk away.

"It looks broken", said the doctor calmly. "Believe me, you don't want to just leave it like this."

Will stopped climbing up the stairs, and turned around again.

"I'm going to get myself something to drink, and then I can take a look at your nose. What you say?"

Will did not feel like talking to anybody, but on the other hand his nose hurt, although until this moment he did not really paid too much attention to it, and did not even feel much pain. The night before, after Jack punched him, he just went to the cabin and then went to sleep, unwilling to think, trying to keep from thinking as much as he could. Of course he did not take under consideration the possibility of having nightmares. But he actually did not have any nightmares. Neither did he have dreams. He just slept. And in his sleep nothing hurt. But now it did.

"Alright", Will nodded blankly.

"Good. Meet you on deck shortly", said Philip Fairwood, and walked away.

* * *

Elizabeth sat in the darkened cabin, her eyes burning from exhaustion, her head aching terribly, the pain almost unbearable.

He left maybe a minute ago. Maybe five minutes. Or... how long could it be? Did it even matter? She leaned down to look at Jack. His face was calm, and when she put a hand on his forehead, she could feel that it was colder than before. The temperature was going down. Elizabeth smiled faintly at this, put his bandana back on his forehead, tied it up, and pressed her lips against Jack's, but drew back quickly, not wanting the tears that were streaming down her cheeks to fall on his face. She brushed the tears away with the back of her hand, and then buried her face in her hands.

When she looked up, she almost jumped at the sight. Jack was awake, his head propped on his elbow, and he was looking at her, grinning. She did not smile back, and he stopped smiling, and wrinkled his forehead, noticing that her eyes were red from crying.

"Lizzie...", he straightened up in the bed, and reached for her hand, but she drew her hand away.

_I love you, _she heard her own voice resonating in her head, breaking through the headache.

She looked terrified. He was not sure, because it was dark in the cabin, but he had the impression that she looked terrified. He did not really know what has happened, but he remembered that suddenly he had felt not very well, and he had collapsed on the bed, and then... He did not know for how long he was like that, but right now he felt as good as ever.

"It's alright, luv", he mumbled, looking at her with concern, and trying to get hold of her hand again, but she quickly stood up, and just stared at him without uttering a single word.

_I love you._

"I don't really know what it was, I just felt... I don't know how I felt really, but I feel quite alright now... ", he went on talking, trying to make out the expression on her face that he could not see very well in the darkness. He thought that maybe her reaction was a result of the worry caused by his quizzical illness. But it was over now. "Somebody's been worrying about her Captain pirate fiance, aye?", he asked smilingly, getting out of the bed.

Jack slid his feet inside his boots, stood up, and looked at her... Or rather at the spot where she was standing just a moment ago. A moment ago, but not now. He heard the door slam. She went out?! He looked around confused, wrinkling his forehead, and trying to figure out what was going on.

Why there was always something going on? And yet you could never really tell what it was.

Until it caused you troubles.

* * *

Elizabeth ran to her cabin, throw herself on the bed, and buried her face in a pillow, so that her crying was virtually inaudible. She felt as if her heart was being torn apart, and there was nothing she could do about it.

The only thing she knew was that she could not do that again. She could not kill him again. So she had to...

Elizabeth jumped up on the bed, when she suddenly felt something, somebody stroking her hair. She blinked in disbelief that he actually followed her there that fast.

"What-", she started, staring at Jack wide-eyed, with fear in her eyes, but he cut her off, catching her off guard.

Taken by surprise, she did not manage to push him away fast enough, and he succeeded in pulling her into a passionate kiss. Before she realized what was happening, he deepened the kiss, erasing all the thoughts from her mind., taking away the headache, making her feel safe.

But she was not safe. He was not safe. And she was doing it again. She was killing him again. The realization began echoing in her head, taking over, prevailing...

Jack had an unsettling feeling that something was wrong, but as his modest attempts to ask Elizabeth questions proved fruitless, he figured that it would be easier to get the information out of her by means of some friendly persuasion... Accidentally, it was what he wanted to do even without any specific reasons, so it was quite clever a solution.

She did not know what to do. What she could possibly do, when it was too late to run away from him.

And then it dawned on her. The idea flashed through her mind, almost hurting her, and she knew that it will hurt him even more than it hurt her, because she knew why it was happening, and he did not. It was viciously cruel, yet, it was the only way to save him. _You can't kill him again_. _You can't..._

When he let go of her for a moment, only to catch a breath, she whispered something, that he initially seemed to ignore, and just leaned to kiss her again, but then he opened his eyes, and looked at her, blinking.

He must not have heard her correctly. At first he thought that she did not say anything at all. Then, that she said something else. Then, that he heard something else than what she said. Finally, that the meaning of what she said had nothing to do with what she actually said... And then he lost his own line of reasoning, as she said it again.

He looked at her, but she did not look at him. She kept her eyes closed.

He drew back a little, and stared at her, baffled.

She knew she could not open her eyes. She knew that her eyes would betray her. The tears that she kept trapped behind her eyelids could betray her. And she could not let that happen.

When she said it for the third time, there was no longer denying it. He did hear her correctly, after all. And although he could not imagine why she would say that, the fact was that she did say that. She said it three times already, and he finally let go of her completely, when for the fourth time she whispered the word that in these particular circumstances sent shivers down his spine:

"Will..."

"What was that, Elizabeth?", he asked hesitantly, after staring at her for some time in silence.

"I've been thinking, and I-", the words just did not want to come out of her mouth, as if they were too difficult to be pronounced.

"And ye what, luv?", asked Jack, puzzled.

"And I think I made a mistake", she replied slowly, trying to sound casual.

Jack looked right, then left, then right, then at her again. He propped her chin with his hand, and tried to force her to look him in the eyes, but her eyes were closed. Elizabeth knew that she could not possibly avoid his gaze any longer, because it would look suspicious, so she opened her eyes cautiously. Her eyes were still red, but the tears have dried out. She looked at him blankly. Or at least she hoped she did.

It was so selfish to think about kissing him right now. Why should he follow her there? Why should he kiss her a moment ago? Why should he look at her? Why should he touch her? She was petrified, and she knew she had to be merciless no matter what, but she was paralyzed, she could not make herself move away from him.

"What is it all about, Lizzie?", asked Jack, looking at her searchingly, and tenderly at the same. It just occurred to him that he loved looking at her, memorizing every detail of her features, it made him happy almost as much as looking at the ocean. And he thought _almost_, only because he did not want to admit that...

"I don't love you, Jack", she blurted out, breathing heavily.

"What?", he asked mechanically, narrowing his eyes in bewilderment.

"I made a mistake. I love Will", she added tonelessly, her face expressionless. _I love you, Jack._

She felt hollow inside. She felt absent. She could not imagine how he must have felt right now, and she noticed that although he still looked at her as before, there was a slight change in her eyes. His eyes dimmed.

But his reaction was far from what she expected.

"What makes ye think, darling, that I'm so much of a fool to believe in this?", he asked with a smirk. "Either ye tell me right now what's going on, or...", he rolled his eyes in search of a threat, but could not really come up with anything particularly scary to threaten her with.

"I'm serious", she mumbled, both stupidly happy that he did not believe her, and simultaneously utterly horrified that she might not manage to convince him; that she might kill him because of that; kill him again. "What makes you think I'm not?", she asked blinking frustratedly.

"Well", said Jack, seeming to be in a good mood again. "Let me think", he added thoughtfully, letting go of her chin, and tracing the outline of her lips with his fingertips, causing her to shiver, from both fear, and excitement.

_Jack, don't..._

"Perhaps 'cause ye're trembling right now, luv", he grinned, and leaned towards her, but then froze, as he felt a burning sensation on his face. He opened his eyes, stupefied. Elizabeth stared at him in dismay, her hand still raised, and trembling.

"Why did ye slap me for?!", he asked with such a sincere sense of unfairness in his voice, that it would surely make her laugh if the circumstances were different.

But she did not feel like laughing. Not at all. She felt like crying, like screaming. And before he had a chance to notice the tears running down her face, she ran out of the cabin, leaving Jack in a state of an overwhelming confusion.

_Lizzie Lizzie_, he smirked to himself, rubbing his cheek, but then his smile faded.

_And what if she **was** serious, after all...?...?!...!_


	29. Chapter 29

A/N: **My dearest reviewers: thank you so much for your reviews!**

Spoiler: Oh, dear. I don't really know how to tell you this... But please have some faith in this story... It'll be alright... Soon...

Disclaimer: I don't own POTC.

**Chapter 29**

Elizabeth walked around the upper deck purposelessly. She felt worn out. Leaning against the railing, she considered half-seriously jumping over it, and disappearing in the blue Caribbean waters forever. Maybe she should have drowned long time ago. Maybe it was her destiny, changed somehow, changed... Thoughts about Jack came flooding in at the recollection of that day in Port Royal.

But it was gone now. Everything was gone.

She continued walking, when she heard somebody calling her. She turned back mechanically, and noticed Philip Fairwood, who was applying a dressing on somebody's face. When she came closer she noticed that the face belonged to Will.

"What's happened to your face?", she asked wearily, slightly surprised.

Will sighed. Was everybody going to ask him this question all the time? Maybe he should make a general announcement? He opened his mouth to reply, but the doctor helped him with the answer:

"Nothing", he said with a smile. "That's what I was told."

Elizabeth did not seem to be listening.

"Glad to see you getting some fresh air, Elizabeth", said the doctor, looking at her concernedly.

She looked at him blankly.

"Yes", she nodded after a moment of silence. "Actually... Jack woke up. He is... alright. He is not ill anymore", she informed him in a low tone of voice, looking away.

Philip Fairwood, who has just finished putting a dressing over Will's nose, turned around, and looked at her intently.

"Is he now?", he asked somewhat astonished, although definitely content.

Elizabeth nodded.

Will listened to them baffled.

"That's very... That's very good", said the doctor thoughtfully. "I guess I go see for myself, then", he added, without taking his eyes off Elizabeth even for a moment.

There was something in her face that worried him. She looked more depressed than before, and this alone was strange enough. Moreover, she was very pale, and her eyes were red from crying. But she did not look as if she was in a mood for talking, so the doctor decided to go see Jack, and find out more about his miraculously improved condition on his own.

Elizabeth walked away, deep in thought, and she leaned against the railing, looking out at the sea. The ship was rocking softly, steadied by the anchor, not moving, and yet in constant, unrestrained, inescapable movement.

"Are you alright, Elizabeth?", asked Will quietly, standing beside her, wondering why she looked so sad. From what he heard he understood that Jack had been presumably ill, but now he was not ill (all in the course of one day, right?...), and although the whole story in his opinion did not make much sense, it seemed that, in general, there was nothing to worry about right now.

She did not answer.

"Did he hurt you?", he asked nervously, as a sudden thought flashed across his mind.

"Will, please", she whispered impatiently. She sounded very tired.

"When did it happen?", he asked hesitantly, after a long pause.

Elizabeth looked at him from the corner of her eye.

"I'm leaving", he said firmly. "I'm getting out of here right now. I want to say good-bye to you, and I don't want you to hate me", he said very quickly, without looking at her.

Elizabeth wanted to protest, but he continued, cutting her off.

"But before I leave, I just wanted to know when it happened? Have I done something wrong? Or maybe", he hesitated, "maybe it was all an illusion. Tell me, Elizabeth", his voice became suddenly very solemn. "The day we met", he looked at her searchingly, and she turned towards him too. "Would you ever got interested in me, would I have ever got to see you again after I had been rescued, if it was not for that medallion?"

Elizabeth's eyes flew wide open.

"What do you mean?", she asked with a frown.

"I mean that maybe you considered me to be a part of some story, of a fairy tale, a half-real person. Maybe it were the things that you have associated me with, and not me as a person that you loved? You thought I was a pirate. And I was not a pirate. In fact, I am not a pirate even now, after everything that has happened."

"Are you saying that I wanted to marry you, because you had a piece of gold tied around your neck?", Elizabeth asked angrily, hardly believing her ears.

He wanted to say _no_, at first, but then realized that it was more or less what he was really thinking of lately. It was true, in a way.

"In the beginning", he said, looking at her pensively. "Before we got entangled in all of this. But now I actually think, that you wanted to marry me, because you treated me as a version... of him."

"As what?!", exclaimed Elizabeth indignantly.

"As a version of him", Will repeated calmly. "A variation. A substitute."

Elizabeth blinked, baffled.

* * *

Philip Fairwood found Jack pacing around the cabin. It was a strange sight. Ten minutes ago the man was dying, and now he was briskly walking around the room. The doctor came in unnoticed, and when Jack finally saw him, he almost screamed at the sight. He did not know that Philip Fairwood was aboard. He did not even know that they were docked in Tortuga. He seemed not to know much at the moment in general. 

The doctor attempted to pursue the topic of the mysterious illness, and he wanted to examine Jack's arm, but Jack was disinterested in any of these issues, so Philip Fairwood temporarily gave up. Arguing with Jack Sparrow was a pointless adventure. He knew that much.

"Have ye seen Elizabeth?", asked suddenly Jack, turning towards him.

"Yes. That's good that she went to get some fresh air, after sitting here for so many hours. I was worrying about her."

Jack demanded an explanation. Philip Fairwood delivered him a short history of his illness (now, strangely, he wanted to talk about it), and told him in a half-jocular fashion about Elizabeth caressing him all the time, changing compresses, kissing him, when she thought the doctor was not looking.

"I've no idea what kind of a spell you put on the girl, but it's certainly working", he concluded good-humouredly.

Jack wrinkled his forehead, and stared at the doctor blankly. Now he was really puzzled. So she had spent the entire day holding him tight, and worrying about him, wishing for him to get well, and then when he did got better, she told him that she did not love him, and she slapped him! Until then he hoped that she was an exception, but it just so seemed that women loved slapping him for some reason. This time, however, he was absolutely sure that he did not deserve it. The sense of it all was clearly missing.

"So where did you say that she was?", asked Jack heading for the door.

The doctor told him where he has seen Elizabeth. Jack rushed out of the cabin. He was determined to find out what was wrong, and why she had kept calling the slimy, annoying, swordless, nose-broken whelp's name (the level of his own irritation over the incident quite surprised him) when Jack had kissed her. It was even worst than slapping, although it actually _was_ like slapping in a way.

He stepped on deck, and almost immediately spotted Elizabeth... And she was talking with the aforementioned... person.

* * *

"A substitute?!", Elizabeth was frowning. "Who do you think I am? You thought that I would marry somebody only because he _reminded_ me of somebody else?!", she was going to walk away, and finish this ridiculous conversation, when in the corner of her eye she noticed Jack emerging from below the deck. 

And it reminded her of the situation. She got temporarily distracted by Will absurd musings, but then it all came back to her, and she felt her heart sink. _You can't let him die. _

So she did the only thing that came to her mind. The only thing that would leave no doubts. The only thing that could shattered everything. And she had to shatter everything in order to save him. So when she was sure that he saw her, and pretending not to see him herself, she suddenly leaned forward, and kissed Will on the mouth. He was shocked, yet elated, so he deepened the kiss, and then he felt her stiffen under his touch. He opened his eyes, and saw her crying. She took a brief look somewhere in the distance, and then ran away from him without a single word.

But Jack did not see her crying, or running away. He just saw her kissing _not him. _He sat on the stairs trying to make something out of it, but he could not. He only felt something cold running through his veins. Or maybe something hot. He could not tell.

_She bloody kissed him. Why did she bloody kissed him. _His eyes were open, but he saw nothing. Nothing except _that_.


	30. Chapter 30

A/N: **Thank you for all the reviews:):):)**

Spoiler 1: (sighs with relief)

Spoiler 2: Ah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Disclaimer: I don't own POTC.

**Chapter 30**

_She kissed him_.

Jack slowly went back to his cabin. First time in his life he felt as if he was in a situation without a single way out. He did not know what was happening. Was it really happening? No. She could not lie like that. She could not pretend... It was her who had come to find him. He remembered the look in her eyes, the way she kissed him, the way she smiled, and gave in to his touch every time he touched her. It was not, it could not have possibly been fake. She loved him. She said she loved him. What got into her?! His every thought soaked up anger and sorrow, mixed together. He was almost losing the contact with the reality, thinking about her lips touching... He gasped and shuddered. It was unendurable. He has never thought he could be really jealous of any woman at all. And now he was more than jealous. He was simultaneously listless and furious.

Jack mechanically pressed the knob, and went into his cabin.

"Jack. Glad, you're back", said Philip Fairwood contently. "Tell me, do you know where is this pistol... Jack?"

Jack ignored him. He headed for his bedroom, and slammed the door behind him. The doctor jumped up at the sound of the door being slam rapidly, and sighed. He had a vague impression that he knew what was going on. At least partly. He considered knocking on the door, but the idea proved unnecessary, as Jack opened the door himself, and came back into the larger room.

He stood silently for a while, wrinkling his forehead.

"Ye said that there's something he likes better than just killing people", said Jack without a word of introduction, looking at Philip Fairwood searchingly.

"I believe so", agreed the doctor. "And I guess you're getting yourself unnecessary frustrated", observed the doctor pushing himself up from the chair.

"And what is that supposed to mean?", asked Jack impatiently.

"Oh, you know", Philip Fairwood waived his hand dismissively.

"But ye don't know", countered Jack sharply, a certain image flashing across his mind.

"Oh, I think I do", said the doctor, trying to suppress a smile. "My advice, if you're interested in such, be that you stop judging people by their actions, and actions by the people who perform them, and instead start thinking about the reasons behind the people, and their actions. Oh, and perhaps as an extra task you could also restrain yourself from punching kids", he added, finding it very difficult to keep a straight face at this point.

"I'm more than happy to see ye in such a fine mood, however-", began Jack, rather annoyed by the comment, as it inescapably brought some unpleasant associations.

"However", the doctor cut in, "you could finally let me tell you something, which I'm unsuccessfully trying to tell-", he raised his eyebrows. "Where are you going?"

"I'll be back in a moment", said Jack, walking out of the cabin.

The doctor sighed and shook his head. _I guess I'd have to do it myself, then_.

* * *

"Elizabeth!", Will ran after her, trying to grab her by the arm. 

"Leave me alone, Will!", shouted Elizabeth, when she finally stopped running.

"You kissed me", he said in a low tone of voice, as a form of explanation.

"No, I didn't!", she countered angrily, with the tears sparkling in her eyes.

Will blinked. There was no point in arguing with her right now.

"Alright", he said quietly, and stared at her for a moment.

She stood leaning against the railing, looking somewhere in the distance, traces of tears all over her face, her eyes red, her lips trembling. She turned away from him, and after a moment of hesitation he finally walked away. Whatever was her reason for kissing him, it had nothing to do with him. Now he just wanted to leave the ship immediately.

Elizabeth closed her eyes, feeling the tears gathering under her eyelids. Her mouth felt bitter after that kiss, and she tried not to think about it.

"I told you to leave me alone!", she said loudly, suddenly feeling somebody's hand on her shoulder. She turned around, ready to tell Will...

But it was not Will.

"I can't really remember that sentence", said Jack, slowly drawing his hand away.

Elizabeth glared at him in silence. He could see she was crying, and that she looked devastated. He scolded himself for ever thinking that she was insincere. He still did not know what exactly was going on, but he remembered the doctor's words, when they had talked the other night before he and Elizabeth set to find the _Black Pearl_, that Harness wanted to make people suffer, and Jack somehow felt that there was a strange connection between this fact, and what was happening right now. Especially, that the captain's body disappeared, and that right before Jack got sick he noticed that the blood-stained bullet was still in that pistol, and that he shot Harness with a regular bullet which could do him no harm.

"Leave me alone, Jack. Please", Elizabeth said quietly, and wanted to walk away, but he grabbed her by the wrists, and pulled her towards him.

"Are ye going to tell me why ye did this?", he asked with a flash of something almost dangerous in his eyes.

Elizabeth tried to look away, but somehow she could not. She was mesmerized by the look in his eyes, a mixture of frantic desperation, condescending coldness, and passion. She has never seen him like this before. But she was not frightened, although it crossed her mind that it was probably what the expression "the most fearsome pirate" really meant.

"Are you going to threaten me?", she asked, trying to sound condescending herself.

"If necessary", he replied with a trace of a sneer flickering across his mouth, and gently pulled her closer towards him.

She could feel his hot breath on her face; intoxicating. She tried to concentrate on what she was supposed to do and say, on what she should do and say.

"I'll scream", she whispered, feeling the grip around her wrists tightening.

"For dear William to the rescue, aye?", he smirked, shifting his eyes from her lips, to her eyes.

She was not sure whether he was really mad at her, or maybe... But it was not possible. He did not know... But still, he looked at her, a smile flickering across his face, as if he was not as serious as he pretended to be.

"Maybe", she said cautiously, her eyes darkening. She could not take her eyes off him. And she knew he noticed it. He always did. "I want to get off this ship", she added quickly, trying to focus. _If he knew... _She knew that he must have been angry with her for that kiss. And it must hurt him as much as it hurt her, or even more, because he was unaware of the causes. But she wanted him to hate her, because then he would not suffer that much.

"It's me ship, and ye don't step off it unless I tell ye to, darling", he said firmly, letting go of her wrists, and instead locking her in his arms.

"So tell me to", she whispered breathlessly, as his lips almost touched hers, when he tightened his embrace, bringing her face nearer his.

Jack grinned, and brushing a strand of her hair away from her face, whispered decidedly:

"Never."

"Why not?", asked Elizabeth resignedly, feeling as if she was losing a battle.

"Well, because", he started casually, with a half-smile, entangling his fingers in her hair, which she did not even bother to prevent, both too puzzled, and too amazed by the unexpected turn their conversation has taken. "I need ye on my ship, Lizzie", he said matter-of-factly. "I need ye in my life", his tone of voice suddenly solemn. "In my mind", he said quietly, tracing her jaw-line with his fingertips. "In my heart", his lips hovering over hers. "And in my bed", he added with an arrogant smile, counteracting any of her possible amendments, by crushing his mouth against hers.

* * *

"Mr. Gibbs?", asked Philip Fairwood finally finding the man he was looking for. 

"Aye", said Gibbs, turning towards him. "Doctor Fairwood. I heard Jack's recovered", he added cheerfully.

"Yes, he is", smiled the doctor. "But this story's not over yet", he added seriously.

"Aye", nodded Gibbs knowingly. "I knew it was a bad sign, when that evil man's body had disappeared."

"Yes", agreed Philip Fairwood. "It's never a good sign if a body disappears. But what I want to say is that... I'd appreciate it if you could lend me... a pistol."

"A pistol?", repeated Gibbs, somewhat confused. What does a doctor need a pistol for? "And what kind of a pistol?", he inquired.

"Doesn't matter", said the doctor with a faint smile.

"Aye...", nodded Gibbs hesitantly.

* * *

"So... ye don't love me, aye, luv?", asked Jack breaking the kiss for a moment. 

"Aye", confirmed Elizabeth. "I don't", she said impatiently, pulling him back into another kiss.

"That's interesting", smirked Jack, hugging her closer, and intensifying the kiss. "Very interesting", he muttered, as her hand slipped under his shirt.

"And very _convincing_, indeed", an ominously sounding voice suddenly broke in.


	31. Chapter 31

A/N:** Thank you for all the wonderful reviews:):):)**

Spoiler: character's death (please, don't cry...); character's departure (just pretend you're sad); character's arrival (???)

Disclaimer: I don't own POTC.

**Chapter 31**

Elizabeth's stiffened. She suddenly realized what has happened. She looked at Jack apologetically, as if she has done something terrible. It startled him how pale she was. She wanted to pull away from him, but he held her as before, and did not let her go.

"Jack", she whispered, but he only hugged her closer in response.

"How lovely", said Harness with a sneer. He looked at them coldly. "I guess we can forget about our little agreement", he hissed, eying Elizabeth, and approaching slowly.

"Nothing's better than a little blackmailing, aye?", observed Jack with a knowing smile, steadily returning Harness' gaze.

Elizabeth glanced up at Jack in surprise. How did he know?

"Not much left to do", said the captain, narrowing his eyes. "It's going to be a very sad ending."

Elizabeth stirred nervously, trying to break free from Jack's embrace, determined to do something, or at least try...

Jack, however, had no intention of letting her do anything. He did not look at her, he just shook his head very slightly, as if signalling to her that she should stay put.

Did he had a plan? It crossed Elizabeth's mind that he had a plan. She always thought that he had a plan, even if he did not have a plan. And even not having a plan in the case of Captain Jack Sparrow was also a kind of a plan in itself, was it not? Elizabeth blinked, consumed for a moment by her own thoughts. It occurred to her that she trusted him more that she could have ever imagined she might. Now, the question was, did he really have a plan, after all?

Jack had a plan. He has decided not to let Elizabeth do anything stupid again. No killing him. No saving him. No kissing the whelp. No burning the rum. And... that would be it.

As for Harness... Philip Fairwood mentioned something... What did he say? Oh, he did not manage to say anything, because Jack rushed out of the cabin to find Elizabeth, and make sure she was just doing something infantile, and not really having second thoughts of some odd kind... And of course she did not Well. Maybe he should have listened to the doctor first...

"I am very sorry", sneered Harness, pulling out his pistol, and aiming it at them.

"I am very sorry too."

Everybody looked in the direction from which came the voice. It was Philip Fairwood, with a pistol in his hand.

Harness smiled, glancing at the barrel that was pointed at him.

"I'm sorry to inform you, but what you're doing displays little sense", he said in a low, but piercing tone of voice.

"Does it?", asked the doctor coming closer.

Jack took a quick look around. He liked people talking. He liked other people talking. It was always very helpful to have a person who was trying to kill you, engaged in a conversation with somebody else.

"In case you, whoever you are", said the captain with a wave of his hand, "failed to acknowledge one very important detail, I'll be as kind as to tell you that the only bullet that can kill me happens to be inside the pistol that I'm holding right now ", he explained with mock patience, and turned back to Jack and Elizabeth.

"Ah, yes", sighed the doctor. "A blood-stained bullet."

"Exactly", said Harness with a grimace.

"Well, it's quite fortunate then, that I don't need it", said Philip Fairwood, cocking his pistol.

Harness looked at him steadily, his eyes narrowed.

"You don't need it", he said, more annoyed than interested, or angry.

"I don't need your blood on the bullet, because", he paused, the expression on his face suddenly very serious. "Because I have it in my veins."

Harness' face was expressionless, and because of that it was impossible to predict what he was going to do. And what he did was, with his eyes still fixed on Philip Fairwood, shooting twice in the direction where Elizabeth and Jack were standing. An evil grin crossed his face, but it disappeared, when the only reaction than came from the doctor was a raised eyebrow. Harness turned his head...

Elizabeth and Jack were gone.

* * *

"I think we should help him somehow", whispered Elizabeth, when she and Jack crept to a hiding place behind the main mast, from which they could observe the scene, without being seen themselves. 

"He'll be fine", said Jack reassuringly, guiding Elizabeth to sit down, and sitting down himself beside her.

"Jack!", exclaimed Elizabeth, slightly surprised by his carelessness.

Jack hushed her by putting a hand over her mouth.

"It's a family affair, Lizzie. It'd be rude to interrupt, don't ye think so?"

She did not think so, but was quite unable to express her opinion with Jack's hand still covering half of her face. She brushed his hand away with her hand, but he caught her hand in the process, and smirked:

"Back to being harsh with me, aye luv?"

"Harsh with you?", she asked in bewilderment.

Jack stopped smirking, and leaning closer to her, asked almost morosely:

"Why did you kiss that...", he found it difficult to come up with a word appropriate enough for her to hear it.

Elizabeth's facial expression softened. She smiled faintly, and resting her forehead against his, told him what had happened, and why she had done what she had done. She tried not to make it sound too grandiloquent.

"I did it for you", she concluded in a barely audible whisper, nervously pulling one of the trinkets in his hair. She blushed, thinking that it must have sounded quite grandiloquent after all.

Jack listened to her intently, watching her throughout her telling him of the story. She averted his eyes, until he lifted her head, propping her chin with his hand.

"I wish ye'd give up _that_ method of rescuing people in the future, luv", he said when she finished. Elizabeth shot him a puzzled look, uncertain whether he meant it as a joke, or rather as a grudge.

She opened her mouth to say something, but then two shots were heard. Jack lifted his head slowly, to see what was happening. The sight was hardly enjoyable, but relieving nonetheless.

Harness laid on the deck, and Philip Fairwood stood near him, with his pistol still aimed at his grandfather, or rather at somebody whom his grandfather had become, somebody who had died long time ago, and who now finally departed, but still departed too late for the possibility of being remembered for whom he had been before he became a monster.

The doctor slowly lowered the pistol.

"Stay here, Elizabeth", said Jack, standing up.

Elizabeth quickly stood up as well.

"Why? It's over. Isn't it?", she asked, holding on to Jack's sleeve.

Jack sighed in exasperation. She was a curious choice for a wife. He smiled to himself at his own thought. _Wife_. Elizabeth – a wife. His wife. That was stunning. And thrilling. And amusing.

"Yes, it is", he said, placing his hands on her shoulders. "But as we've, hopefully, learned from our previous over-adventurous over-experience, sometimes when something _is_ over, it still doesn't mean that it _is_ over."

Elizabeth was not satisfied with the answer. She did not want him to go. Alone. Somewhere. Anywhere.

"I'm going with you", she said stubbornly, staring at him with a resolute expression in her eyes.

Jack rolled his eyes, and grabbed her by the hand, and held it firmly, while acquiescing to her request to go with him. He thought that there were some vital improvements to be introduced to their relations once they get married. As a wife she will have to listen to him. This is how marriage works. Wives listen to their husbands. Or at least he hoped so. Not that there was a great chance (even if as a general rule it was true) that it would work with Elizabeth...

"It's over", said Philip Fairwood blankly, and sighed heavily, still staring at Harness' body.

Jack looked with disgust at the captain's body, which laid in the pool of blood, and it occurred to him, that it was perhaps not a particularly suitable sight for a woman. Even if said woman was a pirate.

"To Captain's Quarters, luv", he whispered into her ear, spinning her around, and pushing lightly towards the stairs.

Elizabeth looked at him indignantly. Did he now want to be giving her orders?!

"Don't send me away, Jack. I'm involved in all of this", she said in a low, but slightly annoyed tone of voice, staring at Jack steadily.

Jack looked at her, quite amused. Maybe it was a high time to set up some rules. Or at least tease her, a little.

"Lizzie darling", he said quietly, looking at her meaningfully. "I want ye to descend below this instant. Removing dead bodies from deck is no work for pretty lasses such as yerself, savvy?"

Elizabeth blinked.

"I thought I'm a pirate", she whispered, leaning towards him.

Jack raised his eyebrows, and chuckled. What frustrated him in a way lately, was the fact that every time she was standing in front of him, the only thing he could think of, was pulling her into a kiss. No doubt, if she knew it, she would regard it as a proof of his treating her not seriously as far as the ever so vital to her being-a-pirate matter was concerned.

On the other hand, he still enjoyed teasing her.

"You're not a pirate, luv. I'm a pirate, and you're... my bonnie lass", he stated with a grin, which was promptly erased by a slap.

Elizabeth headed towards the stairs, frowning.

Jack sighed, not very pleased with how it all turned out.

Philip Fairwood did not really hear any of this. He was still contemplating what he had done. Not regretting, but just thinking about it, considering it.

"I guess that's it", he said more to himself, than to Jack, finally putting the pistol away.

* * *

_His bonnie lass!... _So that was it. That was the freedom. And she thought that Jack was the one person who knew well that she needed to be free, and independent, and not to be ruled by anybody. But so it seemed that he just considered her to be his property, to be kept away from serious work and real life at the sea, and everything she actually might be interested in. It was irritating. Still, she regretted that she slapped him. She was about to go back, and... But she ran across Will, who shot her a morose look. 

"I'm leaving", he said, staring at his boots.

_You have said that to me already._

"Oh", she acknowledged, rather plainly.

Will looked at her, hurt by her indifference, despite that he did not really expect anything more than that.

"I'll get aboard another ship, maybe go back to Port Royal for a while, and then... But I guess you're not interested in my whereabouts anymore, Elizabeth", he concluded bitterly, looking away.

"Yes, I mean no, I-"

"I wish you well", he interrupted her, and looked at her solemnly.

"I wish you well too", said Elizabeth with a small smile, and they stood in an awkward silence for a longer while.

"Good bye, Elizabeth", he said quietly.

"Good bye, Will."

He looked at her expectantly, as if waiting for her to say something yet, but she did not say anything more.

"Good bye", he repeated in a barely audible whisper, and walked away.

Elizabeth watched him disappearing from view. So... it was over too. Will was gone from her life. Strangely, she did not feel sad about it. She felt sad over him feeling sad, perhaps, but as for her... she did not feel like his departure has changed anything. As if it did not matter. She did not like feeling so indifferent about it, but somehow it just did not affect her very much. If at all...

"I think I have to apologize".

Elizabeth startled, as she felt somebody wrapping his arms around her from behind, and whispering into her ear. She turned around, trying not to smile.

"I'm listening", she said, narrowing her eyes.

Jack looked at her the way that was always making her feel uncomfortable. As if he was seeing in her face something that she did not want him to see. As if he was reading her mind.

"I apologize, then", he whispered with a courteous bow of his head, and kissed her.

"I'm not a bonnie lass", she mumbled, entangling her fingers in his hair.

"Yes, ye are", countered Jack insistently.

"No I'm not", she breathed, opening her eyes to look at him.

He looked at her with a roguish smile, brushing away a few strands of her hair from her face.

"Yes, ye are", he said challengingly, and leaned to kiss her, but was interrupted by the appearance of Gibbs, who broke in hesitantly:

"I'm sorry Cap'n, but it seems that we've a problem."

"And what kind of a problem do we have, Mr. Gibbs?", asked Jack, noticing with disappointment Elizabeth slipping away from his embrace.

"A kind of a problem we don't like to be having, I guess", replied Gibbs, with a rather grim look on his face.


	32. Chapter 32

A/N: Just a little reminder: the actual AWE plot doesn't affect this story:)

Spoiler: Ragetti: "I thought he was dead!" / Pintel (_annoyed_): "Read the A/N!" / Ragetti (_hurt_): "Ye know I can't read!..."

Disclaimer: I don't own Jack, Elizabeth, etc.

**Chapter 32**

Jack and Elizabeth followed Gibbs, and once on deck they were confronted with a rather unpleasant sight of a very uncomfortably significant number of people dressed in only too familiar uniforms, acting as though they owned the ship.

Some members of the crew stood around stupefied, shooting at Jack expectant looks, waiting for his reaction.

From all the places around the world, Jack expected Tortuga to be the last place to be overtaken by East India Trading Company. The port somehow always managed to defend itself, as well as it has never been really attacked.

"They seized Tortuga?", asked Elizabeth in a disbelieving whisper.

"No", answered Philip Fairwood, who remained on board, and was still on deck.

Jack gesticulated for him to explain.

"I'd know it. I live here, right? Besides, there are no other ships. Just one ship over there", he said pointing at one, impressing ship, floating on the right side of the _Black Pearl_.

"Oi!", exclaimed Jack, noticing one of the soldiers attempting to change the ship colors. "What are ye doing?", he asked angrily coming up to him.

The soldier looked at him, baffled, and slightly frightened by Jack's appearance and tone of voice, but then he straightened up, regaining his self-confidence, as a certain person suddenly approached them.

"He just follows the orders he had been given."

Jack raised his eyebrows, and turned around, only to see yet another unpleasant sight.

"My orders", completed his utterance Beckett.

"Ah. I knew he looked way too smart to be doing this on his own", smirked Jack, pointing at the soldier, who glanced at Beckett.

Beckett sneered slightly, waiving at the soldier to walk away.

"Oh", he said, when Elizabeth approached. "Miss Swann. I had not been expecting seeing so many familiar faces in a place such as this one. But I will not doubt the possibility of most unlikely encounters in most unlikely places anymore, I guess", stated Beckett in an annoyingly calm tone of voice. "Oh", he added with a trace of a smirk, when Elizabeth slipped her hand under Jack's arm, taking the place beside him.

"What does he want?", Elizabeth turned to Jack, ignoring Beckett.

"I've no idea, luv. He was not as polite as to kindly state his purpose just yet", answered Jack, addressing Elizabeth, as if Beckett was not there.

"Warrants for the arrest, I imagine", said Elizabeth, pouting her lips.

"Letters of marque, that'd be my guess", Jack expressed his opinion with mock excitement.

Beckett was shifting his eyes from one of them to another, waiting patiently for them to finish their musings, while they continued ignoring him.

"And he probably wants a chest", added Jack knowingly.

"Or a compass", offered Elizabeth, narrowing her eyes.

"Or... what was it...", Jack waived his hand, as if trying to remember something. "A hand? A kidney? A knee?"

"A heart!", exclaimed Elizabeth, as if miraculously finding the right answer.

"Yes! Exactly!", smiled Jack, and he and Elizabeth finally turned to Beckett, looking at him questioningly.

"That was very entertaining", said Beckett tonelessly. "Now...", he started, calling some soldiers to him with a gesture of his hand. "I actually simply need this ship for a certain reason at the moment."

"Me too", said Jack with a smirk. "So I need to decline yer offer."

"I am afraid I made no offer", said Beckett with a half-smile, and signalled the soldiers to capture Jack and Elizabeth. "Lock them in the captain's quarters for now, and the crew in the brig", he said indifferently to one of his men. "But we will return to this conversation", he said reassuringly, addressing Jack. "But I want to set sail first", he added with a slight sneer.

* * *

The door slammed shut behind them, and Jack briefly wondered how Beckett got the keys to his quarters. Even he did not have the keys. He misplaced them somewhere a long time ago. 

The idea of Cutler Beckett steering the _Black Pearl_ was repulsive, but at least Jack stayed on the ship, and therefore could think about doing something, instead of standing on land and watching the ship sailing off.

Elizabeth sighed. She could not believe that as soon as they got out of their previous troubles, and everything was about to start going smoothly at last, they found themselves in unenviable circumstances once again.

"I thought he's lost his commission after the king had been informed about his malfeasance and misappropriation", said Elizabeth irritably.

"Aye", answered Jack, leaning against the door, and listening carefully.

Elizabeth shot him a questioning look. Jack waived his hand after a moment of silence, and walked away from the door, and towards Elizabeth.

"He put the guards outside", said Jack in a low tone of voice, pointing at the door.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, and bit her lower lip. Jack tried to think of a reason for Beckett to be in need of the _Pearl_. His reasons, whatever they might be, were bound to be revealed sooner or later. As soon as Jack realized that, he decided to wait calmly for what was there to come, especially that Beckett apparently wanted something apart from the ship from him after all. That was probably why he left him aboard. As long as there was something that he wanted from him, there was the sea of possibilities at hand... At least theoretically.

"So what we do now, Jack?", asked Elizabeth in a sad tone of voice, looking absent-mindedly around the cabin.

Jack looked at her, a full realization of the situation suddenly dawned on him. They were locked. They were alone. They were locked alone in his cabin.

"Well", he began, coming closer to her. "What would _you_ like to do now, Lizzie?", he smirked, sneaking his hand around her waist, and clasping her in his arms.

"It seems that we should try getting out of here", said Elizabeth hesitantly, placing her hands on his shoulders, her heart beating faster, the longer she was staring into his fathomless eyes.

"Getting _out_?", repeated Jack doubtfully, outlining her lips with his fingertips. "And why should we want to do that, luv?", asked Jack, kissing delicately her slightly parted lips. "Why should we want to do that _right now_?"

"Don't know", muttered Elizabeth, letting her eyelids fell over her eyes.

"Ah", grinned Jack, drawing back a little, to look at her. "I say... we take advantage of this disadvantageous situation, and make up for the time we've wasted...", whispered Jack, skimming her neck with his lips, while her hands clenched around his shoulders in a silent response.

Their lips brushed lightly once, then again, and again, until they fell into a long, passionate, fiery kiss. He held her close, his hands roaming up and down her body, entangling in her hair, caressing gently her neck and her face, memorizing everything about her; memorizing her.

He discovered long time ago that to him, and for him, she really was as untamed, as unutterably beautiful, as unsettlingly intoxicating as the sea. Looking into her eyes, he felt as if he was looking into the ocean. But while a part of the ocean's charm was that he could never really grasp it, encompass it, understand it, the enchanting feature of Elizabeth was that each day brought her closer to him, every day it occurred to him that he knew her better, could read her thoughts, her dreams, and fears better. Strangely enough, it was giving him peace. It was making her more _his. _

Jack loved the sea. But did the sea love him back? He loved Elizabeth. And she loved him. He could feel her, he could feel her touch, her timid attempts to decipher him, to know him like nobody has ever wanted to know him before. She wanted to get into his soul, and first time in his life he felt that he actually might let somebody do this. He might put the legend away, and let her see through him.

Quietly, somewhere in his mind he could hear a voice whispering something he has not yet been able, or ready, or brave enough to admit even if only to himself: that to him she was not only much _like_ the sea. To him, she was almost much _more_ than the sea already.

He gently slipped the dress down her shoulders, staring into her glimmering eyes. She looked at him lovingly, smiling only faintly, raising her hand to run it across his face, leaning to kiss him. He kissed her deeply, his hands manipulating with the clasps on the back of her dress.

He grinned when Elizabeth began whispering dreamily his name, every time they were forced to break the kiss in order to catch a breath.

It was exactly when it just crossed his mind that it all turned out rather fortunately, after all, and that it was rather nice of Beckett to lock them alone in the captain's cabin instead of the brig with the rest of the crew, when the door creaked open, and two soldiers rather unceremoniously pushed the frowning Governor Swann inside.

"You have no right-", shouted at them the Governor, but they shut the door without even listening to him for a moment.

The Governor sighed in exasperation, and turned around, only to be startled by the sight of Elizabeth in Jack's arms.

Jack quickly removed his hands from Elizabeth's bare shoulders, pulled the sleeves of her dress up, smoothed them down hurriedly, and turned towards the Governor with an innocent smile. Elizabeth blushed, and did not even dare to look at her father at the moment, vaguely imagining what kind of an expression she may find on his face. And she did not really want to see it.

The awkward silence filled the room.

"Anybody there for a cup of", Jack hesitated, realizing that he has got no tea in his cabin, "rum?", he finished with a smirk, after a moment of consideration.

Elizabeth chuckled. Governor Swann looked at the ceiling. Jack looked at the ceiling as well, but could not see anything interesting there. Elizabeth closed her eyes, and sighed.


	33. Chapter 33

Spoiler: It was him!

Disclaimer: POTC belong to Disney.

**Chapter 33**

The atmosphere in Captain's Quarters was not exactly an atmosphere that might have been called comfortable. As a matter of fact, it was far from being comfortable. And to be even more precise, it was decidedly uncomfortable.

Governor Swann was strolling nervously around the room, with his hands clasped behind his back. Jack sat at his table, sorting his maps and charts, and piling them up ridiculously neatly on the right side of his desk. Elizabeth sat dully in the armchair, shooting from time to time surreptitious looks in Jack's direction.

"What does he want", said Elizabeth aloud, eventually tired of silence, and for some reason rather annoyed.

"The _Black Pearl_", replied Jack, glancing at her with a smirk. Her disappointment at the turn of events was making him smile.

Elizabeth gave him a playfully hard look.

"I don't mean what he _said _he wants. I mean what he _really_ wants", she pouted.

"What's more interesting is how he had known we were in Tortuga, luv-", said Jack. "Elizabeth", he corrected himself quickly, glancing at the Governor.

"And what was he doing there", added Elizabeth, rising from the chair.

"He has no right to do anything. He has been ousted from his post four months ago", observed Governor Swann firmly.

"Which he might have failed to acknowledge", cut in Elizabeth, walking slowly towards Jack's desk.

Jack looked up at her, and smiled. Having finished sorting his papers, he blew the dust away from his desk (receiving a sigh from the Governor at the sight of this), and staggered to his feet.

"I am not going to tolerate this kind of treatment", stated the Governor after a moment of consideration. He turned around, and strongly knocked on the door.

As soon as the Governor turned towards the door, and therefore could not see them, Jack hurriedly cupped Elizabeth's head in his hands, and kissed her deeply on the mouth.

"Are they going to ignore me?", said Governor Swann in a low tone of voice, as he kept knocking on the door, without receiving any reaction from the guards.

Jack deepened the kiss once more, before reluctantly pulling away, just in time, only a moment before the Governor turned back towards them.

"This is unprecedentedly, unimaginably unacceptable!", he exclaimed indignantly.

It occurred to Elizabeth that the style of his utterance sounded somewhat familiar... Oddly...

"They know nothing of the etiquette", agreed Jack resolutely.

The Governor shot him a blank look. He did not really know what he should think of this man. And he was well-nigh certain that he will never know what he should think of him. He was certainly not content to be locked in the room with a pirate, although having the option of his daughter being locked with Jack Sparrow alone, and the option of them both being trapped here with him, there could be no doubt as to which option he ultimately preferred.

"Unlike us", added Jack meaningfully.

Elizabeth looked at him suspiciously, suddenly having the premonition that he was up to something.

"As we have been, due to not very fortunate circumstances, but still quite fortunately granted valuable time together", began Jack, taking a few steps towards the Governor, "perhaps we could discuss a certain very important matter."

Jack glanced at Elizabeth, who gave him a questioning look. He smiled at her quizzically, and reached for her hand, pulling her with him towards the Governor, who was gradually becoming more and more baffled, and more and more on the alert.

Elizabeth looked at his father somewhat confused herself, and then looked back at Jack, who cleared his throat, and with a solemn look on his face, began:

"Since we're... we are all here", started Jack, his voice becoming more serious as he spoke. "I would like to use this opportunity to humbly yet firmly ask for your assent, that is your consent, in other words your approval, and ultimately your permission for marrying your daughter... that is Elizabeth."

Governor Swann choked nervously, and wrinkled his forehead, staring at them both wordlessly. He was about to _humbly yet firmly _object, when he caught the sight of Elizabeth's sparkling eyes. He could not remember when was the last time he had seen her face so aglow. Sometime in her childhood, perhaps. When her mother was still with them, when they were living a happy life together, the three of them, enjoying every day of effortless happiness that had seemed unbreakable; until it broke...

Her smile was so bright that it almost blinded him, when he looked at her. She threw her arms around Jack's neck, and kissed him in the impulse of the moment, quickly drawing back when she remembered her father's presence.

The Governor was taken aback by the situation, by the proposal, by Elizabeth's behaviour. There was nothing more natural than to say "no". There was really no other possible answer than "no". There was no other answer than "no", because "no" was the only answer. He stared at them irritated that he had been put in such a position. And he tried to convince himself that he was not considering the answer, but merely considering the way of saying "no".

"Ah!", exclaimed Jack, as if suddenly remembering something.

Carrying out his plan of action, and disregarding the Governor's lack of response, he pulled a small, red, velvet box out of his pocket, and presented it to Elizabeth.

"What is it?", asked Elizabeth with a smile, pretending not to know what it was, although she was sure that it could only be one thing.

Jack opened the box for her, took a ring from the box, and holding her hand, put the ring on her finger. It was a gold ring with a black, beautiful pearl surrounded by small, glimmering white diamonds.

"It's beautiful!" Elizabeth leaned towards Jack, and kissed him.

The Governor choked. It was the second time Elizabeth kissed Jack right in front of him. And he most certainly did not approve of _that_.

"Father!", Elizabeth came up to him, waving her hand before his eyes. "Isn't it beautiful? Look!"

Governor Swann looked. He looked at the ring. He looked at Elizabeth. No, it was not like in her childhood. Even in her childhood he had not seen her this happy. He felt a twinge of something... But he did not know what it was. Was it irritation? Annoyance? Anger? Guilt... She was elated. Strangely elated. Dangerously elated. Miraculously elated.

"Yes, it is beautiful", he consented blankly.

Elizabeth smiled... No, she smirked. He could not believe his eyes, but she actually smirked almost like _him_. She ran back to Jack, and... kissed him again...!

The Governor was unimaginably grateful, when a knock on the door interrupted the scene. The door opened from the outside. _Why is somebody knocking, then?!_, thought Jack, rather amused.

"Lord Beckett has ordered to bring you water, and bread", said the man in a solemn tone of voice, walking in with a pitcher of water and an indignantly-looking tray with loaf of bread on it.

"Water and bread", muttered the Governor, clearly annoyed.

Elizabeth and Jack looked at the man, who without even looking at them, or asking where he should put what he brought, just left the pitcher, and the tray on Jack's desk, and headed for the door.

Elizabeth and Jack exchanged surprised glances.

"You!", exclaimed Jack, before the man managed to leave. "The man with a knife!". The man turned around.

"I've got no knife!", said the man, bewildered.

The Governor raised his eyebrow.

"Oh", the man suddenly seemed to understand. "It's you!", he pointed his hand at Jack, and then at Elizabeth. "And the Governor!", he said, shifting his hand, and pointing it at Governor Swann, who stared at the man baffled.

Accidentally, the man happened to be the very same cook, who had made his unexpected and unfortunate appearance on the ship which Jack and Elizabeth had commandeered in Tortuga, while running away from Will and the Governor.

"What are ye doing here?", asked Jack, knitting his eyebrows. For some reason, the cook could never fail to annoy him.

"I work for _Lord_ Cutler Beckett now. He hired me", said the man with pride in his voice.

"When?", asked Jack suspiciously.

"Recently", replied the cook, as if trying to remember. "When that ship had crashed, after the storm, you know, I had gone to the port, and the _Lord_ Beckett's ship was there, and I had gone to ask him, whether they weren't in need of a cook, and they had happened to be, and then they made me prepare some sample meal, and-"

"Wait!", Elizabeth broke in. "Do you mean you had met him on that island? Isla de Dolor?"

"Yes", nodded the cook. "So. I prepared a delicious-", he tried to come back to his story.

"What was Beckett doing on Isla de Dolor?", asked Elizabeth, turning to Jack.

"How can I know?!", exclaimed the cook, failing to notice that he was not the addressee of this question.

Jack rolled his eyes.

"Ye may go now", he said to the cook, and waived his hand, pointing at the door.

The cook looked slightly disappointed that he did not manage to finish the story of his hiring procedure. He looked at the Governor, shrugged his shoulders, and left.

"It was him", said Elizabeth as soon as the cook had left.

Jack wrinkled his forehead, turned around, and sat at his desk, thinking.

"He was behind it all", Elizabeth continued, knowing that Jack was listening, even though he was not answering.

"What do you mean, Elizabeth?", asked the Governor with a confused smile.

"He had wanted the ship", replied Elizabeth feverishly. "He had needed the _Black Pearl_, and he had known about that curse, that the ship had to come back after a hundred years to its first captain, so he had known the _Pearl _will be on Isla de Dolor, and he had known that Jack would follow the _Pearl_ to retrieve her."

Governor Swann blinked, as the explanation left him even more confused.

"What curse?", he asked in a low tone of voice, baffled.

But the question was left unanswered, as the door cracked open, and two guards stepped in, announcing that Lord Beckett wished to speak with Mr. Sparrow.

"_Captain _Jack Sparrow", said Elizabeth angrily.

Jack grinned.


	34. Chapter 34

A/N: **Thank you! - my wonderful reviewers for your reviews**:):):)

(I apologize for the spoiler... It just wrote itself somehow...)

Spoiler: Pintel: Watch out for (the lack of) _italics. / _Ragetti: What's "italics"? Is this a fish/ Pintel (_impatiently_): No, it ain't a fish. It's a kind of font!/ Ragetti (_after a pause_): Is "font" a fish?

Disclaimer: I don't own POTC.

**Chapter 34**

"You do not seem to be very pleased with seeing me again, do you, Jack?", said Beckett, when Jack approached him on the upper deck.

The guards stood in some distance, but on the alert. The _Black Pearl_ was sailing swiftly on the smooth face of the sea.

"Can't hide it", smirked Jack, leaning against the rail. "You know I always have my thoughts written right on my face. I keep no secrets."

"Yes, indeed", replied Beckett with a slight sneer. He stood near the railing, looking out at the ocean. "But I would think that you owe me thanks rather than bitter and doubtfully humorous statements."

"Oh, do I?', exclaimed Jack, sincerely surprised.

"If I wouldn't have arrested Miss Swann and Mr. Turner on their memorable almost-wedding day in Port Royal, they would have been happily married for several months already by now." Beckett glanced at Jack, and looked back at the sea.

"Is this what you wanted to talk about?", asked Jack plainly.

"Ah", observed Beckett knowingly. "You do care for her, don't you?"

"Had you been following the _Black Pearl_, or rather it was all well-planned in advance?", asked Jack, ignoring Beckett's last comment.

"Oh, you know Jack, I keep making those annoying mistakes", said Beckett narrowing his eyes, "trusting people to do what they are supposed to do, and yet they always get their own ideas in the meantime, and things just keep going awry all the time, despite my very best of intentions."

They both stood looking at the ocean, as if the ocean was the interlocutor in this conversation.

"You mean you wanted Harness to get the _Pearl_ for you, and he did not quite stick to the plan, aye?"

"Greed is a terrible vice", said Beckett with a grimace. "He wanted to keep the gold, keep the ship... Some people just cannot get enough."

"What do you need the _Black Pearl_ for?", asked Jack blankly.

"A bargain", answered Beckett with a small smile.

Jack smirked. "With whom this time?"

"Poseidon", replied Beckett after a pause.

Jack glanced at him doubtfully.

"I have made an interesting discovery. There is a legend saying that whoever delivers a certain item to the god of the seas, will be granted the power over the seas for five hundred years. Needless to say, he will also live for five hundred years. Can you imagine my astonishment, when I learned that the item desired by Poseidon is, in fact, the _Black Pearl_?"

"The black pearl", said Jack, beginning to enjoy the conversation.

"Oh, you know the story, I see. Yes, the _Black Pearl_", nodded Beckett with a half-smile.

"Yes. The black pearl", said Jack once again, hardly keeping a straight face.

Beckett shot him a searching look. He had an impression... But it was Jack Sparrow. He was the master of impressions. And most of them were false, of course.

"I wonder why _you_ have never decided to trade this ship for the 500-year-long rule over the seas?"

"Well", Jack cleared his throat. "There's a problem with this legend. Two problems, actually. Firstly, the pearl's supposed to be given to the person you love most. If you give it to Poseidon, but you love somebody else, and not the sea most, then it's consider cheating. Secondly, it's also cheating attempting to give Poseidon the false black pearl, and not the one he wants. And the punishment for cheating is, of course, death."

"I know of all of that, Jack. Fortunately, this is the real _Black Pearl_, isn't it? And I also do not have problems with placing my affections wisely", he added with a slight sneer. "Which brings us back to Miss Swann-"

"I _dis-_advise you a further pursuit of this topic", cut in Jack in a resolute, but calm tone of voice.

"You know what is your problem, Jack? You care about people. You don't want to admit it, but you do care about people, and let me tell you that caring about people leads nowhere. Or rather it leads into very unappealing places and situations."

"I must admit that your plan is really stunning", said Jack ignoring Beckett's musings. "Poseidon wants the black pearl, and you give him the _Black Pearl_. Will he not just be delighted with you", grinned Jack.

"I hope so", agreed Beckett confidently, oblivious to Jack's play on words. "Once I gain control over the seas, only the sky will be the limit", he said almost dreamily. "You could work for me, you know", added Beckett matter-of-factly, and turned towards Jack.

"So you're keeping me here for the sake of old friendship and to assure my employment, aye?", asked Jack, smirking.

Beckett laughed drily. "No. I'm keeping you here to settle the debt between us."

"Oh!", exclaimed Jack with a smile. "How noble of you. I think I'd be quite content with six, or seven ships on my disposal", he offered nonchalantly.

"No, Jack", Beckett shook his head. "You misunderstood me. I meant your debt to me, not mine to you."

"Is there such a thing?", asked Jack doubtfully.

"Well, some people call it, although I personally dislike this word", observed Beckett in a low tone of voice, "a revenge."

"Revenge?", Jack wrinkled his forehead.

"I do not like being treated like a fool. And I do not forget if someone had treated me like a fool", he said with a glimpse of hatred in his eyes. So", he called the guards with a wave of his hand, "after I will take over the seas, I shall attempt to understand your attachment to Miss Swann. I imagine that she makes a pleasurable companion not only in the daylight...", he sneered at the sight of Jack's hardening facial expression, and an almost subconscious attempt to break free from the soldiers, who held him by the arms. "I knew I should call the guards before uttering this sentence", said Beckett, ordering the guards to escort Jack back to his cabin.

* * *

Elizabeth sat at Jack's table, waiting anxiously for his return. Governor Swann was sitting in the armchair, glancing from time to time at Elizabeth, always finding her deep in thought, as she could not stop thinking about what was happening right now, and whether Jack was not in danger, and whether he will be back soon. 

She sat with her eyes fixed on the ring. It was the most beautiful ring she has ever seen. She wondered briefly how and when Jack got it.

"He will be back, Elizabeth, don't worry."

Elizabeth looked up, quite surprised that it was her father who said these words.

The Governor looked away, averting her gaze.

"I miss him", said Elizabeth in a tone of voice that was nearly inaudible. "I know it's hardly a quarter of an hour, but-", she fell silent, thinking that maybe her father might find her words annoying.

"Yes", said the Governor with a sigh, without looking at her.

Elizabeth said nothing. So he was annoyed, after all.

Governor Swann rose from the armchair, walked over to the table at which Elizabeth was sitting, and repeated with a small smile:

"I said _yes_."

"I kno-", Elizabeth stopped in mid-sentence, suddenly struck by the realization of what the "yes" was referring to.

She looked up at her father, her face brightening in a second. "Father!", she exclaimed, throwing herself in his arms. "Oh, thank you. Thank you very much!", she kissed him happily on the cheek.

He could not remember such an outburst of emotions at anything he had ever said to her... until now.

"I would've hated-", she started, but stopped, slightly embarrassed.

"You would've hated marrying him against my will", the Governor finished the sentence for her with a knowing smile.

"N-no", stammered Elizabeth. "It's not what I meant... I mean... I-"

"And I would have hated that either", interrupted her the Governor. "So, I am giving you my blessing."

Then the door cracked open, and the guards pushed Jack back into the cabin.

"Jack!", Elizabeth ran to him immediately. She wanted to tell him about her father's approval, but her curiosity prevailed."What did he say? What does he want?"

"Well", began Jack taking her hands in his, glancing at them with a half-smile, and then looking up at her. "He wants something, because somebody else wants it, so he wants to give said somebody else said something that he wants in order to get what he wants."

The Governor sighed, trying to remain patient. _Did I just say "yes"?..._

"So, what is it that Beckett wants?", Elizabeth smiled hesitantly, trying to make sense of Jack's explanation.

"The _Black Pearl_", answered Jack simply, and Elizabeth was about to say something, but Jack cut her off, and continued his so called explanation in a low tone of voice. "Only he doesn't know, that it is not the _Black_ _Pearl_ what he wants to want, but it is rather the black pearl what he wants, but he doesn't know that it is what he wants."

"Is that good or bad? For us, I mean...", Elizabeth gave up her attempts to comprehend what she was hearing. She just wanted to know the general idea behind it.

"Ah", Jack grinned, but was unable to provide the answer to this question, because the ship suddenly and violently juddered, causing the three of them to fell heavily to the floor.


	35. Chapter 35

A/N: **Thank you for all the wonderful reviews**:)

Disclaimer: Disney owns POTC.

**Chapter 35**

"What kind of ignorant is at the helm", muttered Jack, staggering to his feet, and helping Elizabeth to stand up.

Governor stood up and brushed down his clothes. He was beginning to learn not to expect that there were certain things that could not happen to him. To some extent, he was also, at least partly, responsible for it. He had let Elizabeth read all these books about the adventures that he had considered merely fantasies. He was content that she was eager to read. Eager to learn history and geography. And not until was it too late, he had discovered that her interest was no longer not only abstract, but that it became for her a part of reality, which she expected sooner or later to come true. _And it did come true_, he thought glancing at Elizabeth and Jack talking about what was going on now, while the emotions flickering in their eyes were as if disconnected with current events. They always seemed nigh unconsciously lost in some strange contemplation when they were looking into each other's eyes.

"We did not make port, did we?", asked Elizabeth, standing still, trying to figure out whether the ship was still moving.

"I'm afraid is not the port that we'll be making anyway", answered Jack rather quietly, knitting his eyebrows.

Elizabeth looked at him in a silent demand for an explanation. Jack glanced around the room.

"I suggest we sit down on the floor and hold on to something", he said, not exactly giving her the answer she hoped for.

"Why?", attempted to ask the Governor, although he doubted to receive a satisfying response.

The response, however, came in the easy-to-understand form of another violent shake. Elizabeth almost fell, but Jack caught her just in time. The sudden feeling of his arms around her, sent shivers up her spine, reminding her why she has been always finding it alarmingly difficult to be near him, and think clearly – at the same time. And she really wanted to think clearly now.

Jack sat down on the floor, pulling Elizabeth to sit beside him. The table was secured to the floor, so it was a good object to hold on to. Governor Swann, who at first did not think that Jack was being serious, after a moment of hesitation sat on the floor as well, feeling more than ridiculous. He was the Governor, sailing on a pirate ship, sitting on the floor in pirate captain's cabin, holding on to the table's leg... Now. How sensible was that? He was not sure whether it was all more amusing or more horrifying. Moreover, the longer he thought of it, he was gradually becoming more and more astonished at his own consent to Elizabeth's marriage plans.

He sighed, and glanced at Elizabeth and Jack, who were sitting on the other side of the table. It did not please him to see Jack's arm around her, and Elizabeth's head resting against his shoulder. The sight was for some reason unsettling, even though they were engaged... (_and now they even had my approval_, he reminded himself with a sigh).The Governor was shaken out of his thoughts by violent vibration, and all of a sudden, the ship began as if sail, or move very fast forward.

"What is exactly happening right now, Jack?", asked Elizabeth's, looking up at him, having the impression that he was keeping some information from her.

"It'd be better for you not to know that, darling", stated Jack, knowing in advance that this answer was probably not going to make her happy.

_Darling. _The Governor chuckled.

"Jack!", she shot him an impatient look. "Tell me this instant what's happening!"

Jack looked at her, smirking. She did not like that smirk. She knew what usually followed it.

"No", he said indifferently, and ostentatiously looked away.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. She did notice that he occasionally (and more and more frequently as of late) enjoyed treating her with some kind of playful arrogance, teasing her, just to show her that it was really him who was always in control of the situation, despite her efforts to win their little arguments, or make him tell her what he did not want to tell her.

"Jack!", she exclaimed hitting him lightly on the shoulder. With her father sitting so close to them, she was really unable to use any other method of persuasion. And she knew that Jack knew it, and it upset her even more. "Tell me right now."

"No", repeated Jack stubbornly.

The Governor watched them from the corner of his eye, not knowing what to think. Were they serious? Were they really arguing? Were they just pretending to argue? Were they joking? To him their behaviour seemed rather peculiar. He did not know any engaged or married couple who would behave like that. There was this connection between them, strange closeness (should he call it friendship?), unaccounted for in the world he knew only too well, the world of marriages of convenience, marriages for variety of _reasons, _and hardly _feelings._

Yet, apart from the friendship, there was also love, subtly visible in every look, and every gesture. If Governor Swann was to be honest with himself, he had to admit that if Jack Sparrow was not a pirate, an outlaw, and a seemingly half-insane man, he would have to consider him and Elizabeth to be an extremely well-matched couple.

Deep in thought, and hardly believing that he was actually thinking what he was thinking, the Governor was suddenly brought back to the reality by Elizabeth's voice, urging him to hold on. He gripped the leg of the table in the last moment, before the ship suddenly dropped sharply downwards, as if falling into a precipice.

Elizabeth closed her eyes, as Jack locked her in his arms. She buried her head into his chest, and held on to him with all her strength.

* * *

"_Now_, can you tell me what _has_ happened?", asked Elizabeth when the _Black Pearl_ apparently finally came to a still stand. 

Jack looked at her intently, narrowing his eyes, and after a moment (of what Elizabeth thought was the time that he needed to formulate a coherent answer), he brushed a loose lock of her hair behind her ear, and got up without a single word.

Elizabeth, clearly enraged, followed him with her eyes, as he walked away and around the room, collecting all the items that fell to the floor, and putting them back in places.

The governor stood up, glancing at Elizabeth, who was with absent-minded fury smoothing her dress.

She was about to say something, when the door cracked open, revealing Lord Cutler Beckett in the doorway.

"We have reached our destination", he said with a small sneer, ordering the soldiers to bring Jack, Elizabeth, and the Governor on deck.

"Which is?", tried once again Elizabeth whispering the question into Jack's ear, while the soldiers were clasping their hands in irons.

Jack looked at her smilingly. _My beautiful, ever-inquiring Lizzie._

"The sea", he at last whispered back to her.

Elizabeth blinked. "I know we're at the sea", she snapped quietly.

"We're not at the sea, luv", said Jack quizzically, as the guards escorted them from the cabin, up the stairs, and on the upper deck.

When they came on deck, Elizabeth was completely taken aback by the sight. She looked around disbelievingly. The _Black Pearl_ was as if surrounded by seductively humming waterfalls. High, and overwhelmingly beautiful, perfectly blue, breathtakingly stunning. The soldiers seemed to be awe-struck as well. They all stared around, hardly believing their eyes.

Jack leaned towards Elizabeth, and she did not know whether it was rather his words, or his mesmerizing voice that caused her to tremble, but she found herself shivering in amazement, when he whispered:

"We are _in_ the sea, Lizzie."


	36. Chapter 36

A/N: **Thank you very much for all the reviews!**

Disclaimer: Disney owns Jack, Elizabeth, the _Black Pearl_... (Although I own the black pearl lol)

**Chapter 36**

The _Black Pearl _seemed to be merely floating on the surface of water, if it could even be called the surface... It sailed very slowly through the veils of waterfalls surrounding her, and Elizabeth, as everybody else (except for Jack maybe, who were busy scrutinizing the chains around his wrists), gazed at the sight in awe.

Elizabeth shuddered finally realizing what it actually meant that they were _in_ the ocean. It meant that there was no easy way out, but it also meant that it was the most beautiful place she has ever been to.

"What will we do now, Jack?", she asked quietly, reluctantly tearing her eyes off the waterfalls, and looking at Jack.

"We watch the spectacle", replied Jack with a smirk.

The Governor raised his eyebrows, exchanging glances with Elizabeth, who quickly looked away, slightly embarrassed. She did not want her father to get a _wrong _impression that the only procedure that Jack was always willing to follow was waiting or watching or seeing what will happen or catching an opportune moment while waiting or watching or seeing what will happen...

"I am watching the spectacle right now", she snapped under her breath. "I want to know what will we _do._"

Jack shot her a quizzical look.

"Firstly, luv, these pretty water walls are not the spectacle I was talking about", he explained patiently with a half-grin, "and secondly, leave _doing_ to me. It's my ship, my crew, my trouble", Jack looked at Elizabeth thoughtfully, "well, and you are actually, in fact, also mine, so-"

"Jack!", broke in Elizabeth frustratedly, regretting greatly that she was shackled, and could not slap him."I thought I have something to say in-"

"You're always most welcome to express your lovely opinion, luv", cut her off Jack in a barely audible whisper, trying to sound serious. He should quit it, really. He ought to quit irritating her, but somehow he liked it. He liked the fire in her eyes ignited by his randomly annoying comments. He also liked seeing this fire fading or changing into a different kind of fire... Unfortunately, in the current circumstances, the irritation stage was the only one available, so he at least wanted to enjoy that one.

"I would _express_ my opinion better if my hands were not shackled", she whispered angrily, and looked away.

"I'm sure you would, Lizzie", smirked Jack, and when Elizabeth turned to him to snap back, he quickly brushed his lips against hers.

Nobody even noticed it, as all the soldiers as well as the Governor were still mesmerized by what was around them.

"Trust me on this one, luv", whispered Jack, gazing at her with this strange admiration which was always giving her shivers.

"I trust you on everything", replied Elizabeth softly. "As you might have noticed."

"I have noticed", said Jack with a smile, and these were the last words that they managed to exchange before the ship came to a stop in front of a huge waterfall, which parted miraculously, revealing the tall, turquoise door. The door opened slowly, and behind it there was a beautiful, large room looking as if it was made out of glass. The walls and the floor glimmered in the distance.

Elizabeth stared at it in amazement, but the sight was scattered by the sudden appearance of Lord Cutler Beckett.

"I shall remove these shackles as it would look... not very appropriate in the Poseidon Palace, I believe, however... if any of you should try do something... unreasonable", he paused staring at Jack, Elizabeth and Governor Swann intently. "It would result in highly undesirable turn of events", he concluded with a small smile.

The soldier who was removing Jack's shackles blinked upon noticing, that his shackles were already... opened. He looked up at Jack curiously, but Jack was at the moment looking away disinterestedly with the most innocent expression on his face.

Once their hands were free, the three of them followed Beckett to the end of the ship, and then across the ramp, until they reached the low, decorative steps leading to the short hallway, and eventually to the grand, brightly lit room.

"Why is he taking us with him?", Elizabeth whispered to Jack, forgetting about her fairly recent oath to slap Jack as soon as she would have her hands unshackled.

"I guess he likes to have the audience for his spectacles", answered Jack, taking Elizabeth by the hand.

She squeezed his hand, receiving a half-smirk from Jack, but then she remembered about their little argument.

"I'm still upset", she said defensively, looking straight ahead, but displaying no intention to pull her hand away.

"Of course", answered Jack in a very serious tone of voice.

Elizabeth shot him a hard look, but then noticed the surroundings and sighed:

"It's so beautiful...", she said looking at the floor, which was made out of glass, through which they could see the ocean. Water was flawing quietly under the glass squares on the floor, on the walls, and above the glass ceiling.

The Governor looked around, stunned. He walked silently next to Elizabeth and Jack for some time, before he finally decided to ask:

"We are not really _in _the ocean, are we?", he inquired with a smile, as if he already knew that it could not possibly be true.

Something in the way they looked at him, however, told him that he was wrong.

* * *

Behind yet another door, guarded by four strangely looking creatures reminding Elizabeth of Dave Jones' crew members, was a large, round-shaped room. Here as well the floor, the walls, and the ceiling were transparent, evoking all the possible emotions accompanying the emerging sense of astounding understanding that this place was indeed located inside the sea. 

In the middle of the room, on a gold throne sat a tall, well-built, elderly man. He was sitting with his head propped on his hand, in his other hand he held a long, dark-blue trident. The man looked bored. Very bored.

On the right side of the throne, stood an extremely thin man, who looked quite ordinary, except for his seaweed hair, and his fingernails, which looked more like seashells. He was holding a roll of green paper, which he began to unfurl, when Beckett, Jack, Elizabeth, and Governor Swann entered the room.

The elder man looked up at them as they came, Beckett bowed politely, receiving, however, no reaction from the god of the sea. Poseidon turned his head, and looked at the man with the roll of paper.

"And who are those...", he waived his hand, as if looking for a right word.

The man with seaweed hair looked up at Poseidon, and said in a low voice:

"The black pearl."

Poseidon rolled his eyes. The seaweed-haired man smiled, and pulled a sea horse out of his pocket. He shook it lightly, and to everybody's surprise, began writing something on the green paper with it.

Elizabeth glanced at Jack, but he just sent her a small smile.

"I brought the _Black Pearl_", said Beckett resolutely, breaking the silence.

Poseidon narrowed his eyes, and sighed. "Where is it?", he asked in a tired tone of voice.

"Outside", replied Beckett plainly, slightly surprised by Poseidon's manner. He expected the god of the sea to display more dignity, and solemnity, while he seemed rather exhausted, and not entirely serious.

Poseidon, and his seaweed-haired secretary exchanged glances. "Outside", repeated Poseidon turning his gaze to Beckett, and eying him suspiciously. Then he shifted his eyes to look at Jack, then at Elizabeth, and finally at the Governor.

"Yes, outside", nodded Beckett, feeling less and less comfortable.

"Let me guess", started Poseidon, swaying his trident from side to side in a playful gesture.

Elizabeth noticed a smile flickering across the secretary's face. Beckett stared at Poseidon intently. Jack looked around the room, and the Governor struggled to comprehend the fact that he was _in_ the sea. He did not even tried to guess who was the man with the trident.

"Let me guess", repeated Poseidon with a sigh. "It is a ship, right?"

Beckett blinked. "Yes. The _Black Pearl_. The ship", he said flatly.

Poseidon closed his eyes, and sighed heavily.

In the awkward silence Elizabeth could hear the ocean around them.

"One more time somebody brings me that ship, and I swear I will take it", said Poseidon in a half-angry, but at the same time half-amused tone of voice.

The secretary laughed briefly.

Elizabeth glanced at Jack, who looked as if he was having equally good time. Her anxiety slightly faded. Beckett stared at Poseidon, baffled.

The god of the sea looked around the room indifferently. Elizabeth lifted her hand, and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. When she looked up, she noticed Poseidon watching her intently.

"Are you all... together?", he asked with sudden interest, waving his hand at them.

"No", very quickly, and unexpectedly answered Jack, attracting the general attention. Even the secretary stopped taking notes with the sea horse, and looked at Jack. "We are together", explained Jack, pulling Elizabeth towards him, and patting the Governor lightly on the shoulder, although he retracted his hand quickly, seeing the Governor's rather surprised facial expression. "He is separate", concluded Jack pointing at Beckett.

Poseidon looked at Beckett, who just smirked slightly at Jack's pointless, in his opinion, commentary.

"I see", said Poseidon. The secretary raised his eyebrows.

"We have been taken hostage", added Elizabeth through her teeth, shooting a disgusted look at Beckett.

"I do not think that it is the subject of this meeting", said Beckett calmly.

"And what_ is_ the subject of this meeting?", asked Poseidon, smiling slightly for the first time during this conversation.

"The _Black Pearl_", answered Beckett, staring at Poseidon searchingly. He felt that something was wrong, but he did not know what could possibly be wrong. He had everything meticulously planned. Nothing could go wrong. "I brought you the _Black Pearl _to exchange it for the five hund-"

Poseidon burst out laughing cutting him off. "Whoever invented that story couldn't possibly predict its enormous success", he said smilingly.

Beckett stood motionlessly, suddenly turning very pale.

There was a moment of silence. Poseidon stopped laughing, and the smile disappeared from his face. When he looked again at Beckett, his cobalt eyes were serious and cold.

"I think I've had enough of this nonsense for today" , he said in a low, but firm tone of voice.


	37. Chapter 37

A/N: _**Thank you for all the reviews:):):)**_

Disclaimer: POTC belong to Disney.

**Chapter 37**

"I do not think I understand", said Beckett coldly, glancing at Jack, having a strange premonition that Jack had something to do with his brilliant plan going awry once again.

"I don't understand either", replied Poseidon grimly. "How can anybody think that I would give up the control over the seas for five hundred years?", he stared at Beckett, waiting for the answer.

"I have been told-"

Poseidon silenced him by waving his hand at him impatiently. "I am in a bad mood today", he said exasperatedly.

The secretary sighed. Beckett had an ominous impression that something not good was about to happen.

Poseidon slowly rose to his feet, and approached Beckett, who suddenly remembered the part of the story mentioning the punishment for cheating... And even if the story was not true, and even if the_ Black Pearl _was not what he expected her to be, there was still a great chance that death was all what was real in that legend...

"He told me this", said Beckett quickly, noticing Poseidon's grip tightening around the trident. He certainly would not like being stabbed with it.

"Who?", asked Poseidon, narrowing his cobalt eyes.

"He", repeated Beckett, pointing his hand at Jack.

Even Jack was surprised by this false accusation.

"That's not true!", exclaimed Elizabeth, without actually considering the claim, merely sensing the fact that the danger shifted now from Beckett to Jack, somehow.

Poseidon glanced at Jack disinterestedly, but then he seemed to be struck by a sudden idea. Leaving Beckett, he walked towards the small group consisting of Jack, Elizabeth, and the Governor.

"You were here before", said the god of the sea, staring at Jack for a moment.

Elizabeth glanced at Jack in exasperation. He did not tell her. He did not tell her something again. She tried to read from his facial expression, whether he expected to be recognized, or whether it was rather an unfortunate turn of events. But all she could see was Jack's smirk spread across his face, and this could mean nearly everything, from a sense of disaster, to a sense of victory.

"I believe so", answered Jack uncomfortably.

_I hope he had this all planned out, _thought Elizabeth with increasing anxiety. And she knew he hadn't.

"You brought that ship to me before", said Poseidon, wrinkling his forehead.

Elizabeth's eyes flew wide open. The Governor listened intently to every word, but his comprehension was still not improving.

"Everybody can make a mistake", stated Jack matter-of-factly. "Once. And I did not make it twice. He insisted on bringing the ship", he added pointing at Beckett, "even though I had told him that this is not the black pearl", lied Jack glancing at Beckett.

"He did not tell me this", retorted Beckett, pondering how it was possible that the _Black Pearl_ was not the _Black Pearl_... Or did he misunderstand something?...

"You said he had told you", to Beckett's surprise pointed out Poseidon.

Jack smiled, quite content with being agreed with.

Beckett looked around the room frustratedly, trying to remember his own words.

"I did not mean he had said-", he started, but stopped in mid-sentence, losing his own line of reasoning. "I meant that he had told me about the legend", he lied quickly in an attempt to direct Poseidon's attention to Jack again.

"I had not tell him that", announced Jack indignantly. "I had only told him that the _Black Pearl_ is not the black pearl, and he had said that he had known it, and he had insisted on trying to deceive you", recited with amazing fluency Jack.

Elizabeth glanced at Poseidon, and with some relief acknowledged that he was at least as confused as she.

Beckett glared at Jack angrily. "This is a lie!", he exclaimed, not sure which part of Jack's speech was a lie, but knowing that at least _part_ of it _must_ have been not true.

Elizabeth desperately tried to make sense of the situation. Firstly, she did not understand why the_ Black Pearl_ was not the _Black Pearl... _While she was pondering about it, the answer suddenly dawned on her. _The ring. My engagement ring. _She instinctively covered the ring with her other hand, oblivious to the fact that Poseidon had already noticed it some time ago.

But right now he was too busy listening to the argument between Jack and Beckett to pay attention to anything else.

"Enough!", he suddenly shouted, hitting the floor with his trident. The room shook slightly, and everyone shuddered, and fell quiet. Poseidon sighed. "I don't care who had said what", he said firmly. "I'm tired."

"To the sharks?", offered matter-of-factly the seaweed-haired secretary.

Jack chuckled. "If I may-", he started, raising his hand.

"If _I _may-", cut in Beckett sharply.

Poseidon glared at them both, clearly enraged. He turned to the secretary: "To the piranhas".

The secretary nodded.

"May I?", broke in Elizabeth, taking everybody by surprise. She had no idea what she could do or say, but she wanted to give Jack more time for thinking of a plan._ He is probably certainly thinking of a plan right now._

Poseidon turned around to face her. "You may what?", he asked, rather rudely.

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. She had no answer to this question, really.

"Perhaps-", Jack attempted to help her at that point, but the trident suddenly appearing right in front of his face distracted him slightly.

"The black pearl", said Elizabeth, suddenly getting a certain idea.

Jack looked at her anxiously. He regretted that he had not told her. She did not know the story. She did not know that she was not supposed to give up the pearl if it was not the sea that she loved most. And he had a sneaky suspicion that she did not love the sea most...

"Unless this part of the story is not true either, and you do not really want it", pouted Elizabeth.

"I think you have your traitor", broke in Jack, waving his hand at Beckett. "Maybe we", he grabbed Elizabeth's hand,_ "_could just sail away, and don't be taking up your valuable time for any longer, aye?"

Poseidon raised his eyebrows, and glanced at Jack.

"I think I will let you say what you want to say", said Poseidon looking at Elizabeth again. He outstretched his hand, indicating the door on the other side of the room. He gestured something to his secretary, and then walked towards the door. Elizabeth, however hesitantly, intended to follow, but Jack caught her by the sleeve, stopping her. She shot him a questioning look.

Poseidon turned around, and looked at them searchingly.

"She's not going anywhere", said Jack casually.

For some reason, (and despite being slightly irritated by Jack's interference, which probably meant that he did not believe in her scheming abilities), Elizabeth considered that sentence to be one of the most wonderful sentences she has heard him saying.

The Governor looked at Jack intently. Poseidon looked at Jack as well; angrily.

"I don't like my words to be disobeyed", said Poseidon, his eyes darkening.

"We can all talk here, together", offered Jack reasonably.

Elizabeth looked at him worried. He had this rare, solemn expression on his face. She would rather have him grinning and smirking, than speaking in that tone of voice. She remembered that tone of voice only too well..._ Abandon ship..._

"I'm tired", said the god of the sea ominously, "And I don't like my words to be disobeyed", he repeated with strange annoyance in his voice.

It could not possibly have taken more than two seconds. Only two seconds. Elizabeth saw him raising his trident, even before Jack noticed it. Jack's eyes merely widened, when the trident came down. But it missed him.

It missed him, because somebody flew right in front of him, shielding him from a stab.

The Governor screamed. Jack dropped to his knees, catching Elizabeth as she was falling to the floor. Poseidon stepped back abruptly, astonished at what had just happened.

"Lizzie", muttered Jack in utter dismay trying to hold her, cupping her paling face in his hands. "Lizzie... Don't."

She fell into unconsciousness.

The red blood on the shimmering with turquoise blue, idyllic, transparent floor seemed incomprehensible.


	38. Chapter 38

A/N: **Thank you so much for all the reviews!**

Disclaimer: Disney owns POTC.

**Chapter 38**

Jack sat on the edge of a large, crystal glass bed, holding Elizabeth's hand, staring at her intently, as if his stare, if intense enough, could wake her.

The bleeding has been stopped, and the wound was dressed, but somehow she was still unconscious.

Governor Swann bustled around the room, his face tightened from worry, his breathing shallow.

It has been at least three hours since the unfortunate incident, when the room's door opened, and the Poseidon's secretary slipped in hesitantly.

"If there is anything you need", he spoke in a solemn tone of voice. "His Majesty has ordered-", he trailed off, meeting the Governor's icy stare.

While it was remarkably true that Poseidon's reaction to what had happened was more than they could have reasonably expected, the fact that he manifested his remorse with astounding sincerity did not, however, in any way affected the fact, that Elizabeth did not regain consciousness yet.

"He nearly killed my daughter!", exclaimed the Governor knitting his eyebrows.

"His Majesty is truly sorry", rather timidly observed the secretary.

"Sorry?!", Governor Swann stared at him angrily.

"He had forewarned you that he was in a bad mood...", to the Governor's absolute astonishment pointed out the seaweed-haired man.

"Bad mood?!", the Governor blinked, stupefied. "He stabbed an innocent girl, because he was in a bad mood?!"

"Well-", the secretary did not really know how to tell the Governor that it was, indeed, the case. "Actually", he suddenly remembered something, "His Majesty did not want to stab the girl... He wanted to stab him", said the secretary pointing to Jack.

Jack did not even turned around to look at him. Probably, he did not even hear him. He just stared at Elizabeth, stroking her hair, and wishing for her to open her brown, sparkling eyes, and looked at him. It should be him, not her. She should not have done it. Not for him. Not for anybody. _Lizzie Lizzie..._

He lowered his head, resting it against her hand.

"Jack?"

He looked up immediately. "'Lizbeth", gasped Jack, hardly believing that she was really awake.

"Elizabeth!", the Governor rushed toward her, sighing with relief.

The secretary sighed with relief as well, but did not dare to interrupt, so he just quietly slipped out of the room.

Elizabeth smiled faintly, trying to sit upright in bed.

"No, no, no", Jack stopped her in mid-action. "You should rest, lay down, don't move", he attempted to tuck her up in a tulle blanket.

"I'm fine, Jack", said Elizabeth throwing back the blanket. She looked at Jack smilingly. She has never seen him that nervous before.

"Please, Elizabeth, don't do anything, just rest", insisted the Governor. "Mr. Sparrow is right", he added after a pause with some hesitation.

Elizabeth looked at her father pleasantly surprised. It was the first time when he actually attempted to pronounce Jack's name, instead of muttering a variety of (im)personal pronouns.

And she only tried to suppress laughter, noticing Jack wincing briefly, as he inaudibly mumbled the correction: "Captain. Captain Jack Sparrow." But the Governor did not notice it.

"I'm fine", repeated Elizabeth firmly.

"No, you're not", countered Governor Swann.

"Lizzie, listen to your father", concurred Jack, putting his hands on Elizabeth's shoulders, and trying to prevent her from getting up.

Elizabeth stared at them both frustratedly. "What kind of conspiracy is this?!", she frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. She sighed heavily, and then suddenly grimaced, as she felt a piercing pain in her right side.

Jack quickly sat right next to her, and hugged her. "See, luv?"

Elizabeth closed her eyes, and nestled her head into his chest. "Maybe you're right...", she whispered, waiting for the pain to ebb.

"'Course I am", nodded Jack. "We are", he corrected himself, glancing at the Governor.

"You should drink something, Elizabeth", said Governor Swann, taking a look around the room. "Where's this man... Well... I will go bring you some water... You are thirsty, aren't you?", he asked, looking at her concernedly.

Elizabeth nodded weakly. "A little", she said under her breath.

The governor stood there yet for a while, and then walked out of the room.

Jack leaned his head on Elizabeth's, and gently stroked her hair. "You scared me, Lizzie", he sad in a low tone of voice.

Elizabeth propped up her head, and looked at Jack. He stared somewhere into the distance wrinkling his forehead. Elizabeth cupped the side of his face, and turned his head forcing him to look at her. Knowing that even if worrying about others itself was in his nature, then admitting to being worried undoubtedly was not.

"You shouldn't have done that", he said seriously. "Never, never do anything like that again, Elizabeth. You must promise me that." He looked at her solemnly.

Elizabeth gave him a small smile, and kissed him softly on the mouth. "I am sorry, but I can't make that promise", she said quietly, and leaned to kiss him again, but he tilted his head back, and framing her head in his hands repeated firmly:

"Promise me, Elizabeth."

"Can you promise that you wouldn't do that for me?", she asked him after a moment's thought.

"Ah", Jack tucked a loose strand of Elizabeth's hair behind her ear. "A crafty plaything", he smirked. "No, no", he shook his head, wagging his finger at her. "There will be no putting the cart before the horse, Lizzie. You promise first, and then we'll see."

"No, Captain Sparrow", countered Elizabeth. "_You _promise first, and then we'll see", she smiled challengingly.

"Lizzie", whispered Jack quasi-menacingly. "Don't make me make you make that promise. Just make it."

"No", she pouted, pressing her lips against his. Jack deepened the kiss feverishly, but to Elizabeth's disappointment pulled away very quickly.

"Promise", he gasped. Elizabeth sighed, and averted her eyes from him. "Elizabeth Swann. Promise me right now that you will never ever under any whatsoever circumstances put yourself deliberately, or intendedly, otherwise purposefully in any possible, or probable danger."

Elizabeth sighed again. She was not going to make that promise. She did not know whether she should tell him that she had not done anything special. In fact, she merely repaid for what she had done before... She had killed him. And now she saved him. And she felt better. But somehow she suspected that this explanation would upset him. He has been telling her repeatedly that he did not care. That he had forgiven her. That he had forgiven his pirate bonnie lass.

Nevertheless, she has never told him that she had troubles with forgiving herself. Still.

"Jack!", she suddenly exclaimed, hit by a certain idea. "Why didn't you tell me about the black pearl?", she asked, happy to change the topic.

"What?", asked Jack, raising his eyebrows.

"My ring!", said Elizabeth waving her hand before Jack's eyes. "You didn't tell me that _this_ is _the_ black pearl! Not the ship, as Beckett had thought."

"Aye", grimaced Jack. "It was not for you to worry", he said blankly. "Plaything", he added narrowing his eyes, and smiling mischievously.

Elizabeth pursed her lips, annoyed. "It will not work this way, Jack. You ought to be telling me the truth. Always", she almost shouted, wrinkling her forehead.

"Always?!", exclaimed Jack disbelievingly.

Elizabeth shot him an impatient look, thinking that he was not being serious. But to her half-astonishment, and half-amusement, she soon realized that he actually _was_ serious.

"Jack!", she leaned towards him, looking him straight in the eyes. "You must always tell me the truth!", she stated resolutely. "I'm your... wife... almost", she added hesitantly.

"Yes", nodded Jack with a glint of mischief in his eyes. "It's this _almost_ that bothers me most."

Elizabeth looked at him, trying not to smile, but failing in doing so. "Oh, does it now?"

"Aye", grinned Jack, entangling his fingers in her hair. "It does", he muttered, and attempted to pull her into a kiss, but Elizabeth drew back.

"He had said that you have been here before, Jack. What was that all about?", she inquired interestedly.

Jack rolled his eyes. _Never-miss-a-thing-Lizzie-luv, aye... Mrs. Captain Sparrow, that is. _He smirked.

"What are you smirking at, Jack?", asked Elizabeth with a frown.

"I've been here once, long time ago", replied Jack, ignoring her latest question. "When I myself thought that the _Black Pearl_ is the black pearl", he explained, wrapping his arm around her. Elizabeth rested her head against his shoulder.

Elizabeth listened to the story. Listening to the story reminded her of the stories she has read in her childhood. The stories of wild adventures, convoluted maps, hidden treasure. The stories of pirates, and far-away lands, tropical islands, lost cities, dreary towns, white-sand beaches. The stories of Captain Jack Sparrow...

"So... Poseidon had spared your life, even though it had seemed as if you'd cheated, because you had offered him the ship instead of the jewel", Elizabeth tried to put it all in order in her head.

"Aye. He was in a _good_ mood, then", he observed, hugging Elizabeth close.

"He is the sea, so he has moods, just like the sea", she said quietly.

Jack tilted his head back, to look at her intently. "What a comment, Lizzie. You're becoming a man of the sea. That is", he corrected himself, "a woman... of the sea."

Elizabeth smiled. "But how did you find the real pearl?", she asked, bringing her hand before her eyes. She looked at the ring, and touched it timidly with her fingertips.

Jack hesitated for a moment before answering. "Well-", he started, and Elizabeth shot him a quick look, sensing a Captain Sparrow's kind of truth about to be presented.

"How did you _really_ find it", she cut in resolutely.

Jack turned his head to look at her, putting a hurt expression on his face. He grew pensive, and kept stubbornly silent for a moment. Elizabeth waited patiently, stroking his face with the back of her hand, realizing how difficult it must have been for him to actually tell her a not-so-grand version of one of his adventures.

But she wanted the non-grand version. She wanted the truth. She wanted him. She wanted for him to know that to her he did not have to embellish anything. The reality was good enough. Even if only because it was his reality. It was him. And she did not want nothing more.

"I found it on the Pearl. In Captain's Quarters. In a drawer", mumbled Jack at last, staring at the floor. "Accidentally", he added with a sigh, disgusted.

Elizabeth smiled, forced him to look at her, and kissed him passionately.

"What was that for, luv?", asked Jack, reluctantly breaking the kiss for a moment.

"Guess", she smirked, and kissed him again.

They did not even notice when the crystal door opened, and somebody came into the room.


	39. Chapter 39

A/N: **_Thank you for all the wonderful reviews!_**

Spoiler; ?!?!???!!!

Disclaimer: Disney owns POTC.

**Chapter 39**

"I have a premonition that I will not be getting that ring back", a calm voice resounded in the room.

Elizabeth and Jack broke their kiss, and looked at the owner of the voice. Poseidon smiled faintly. Elizabeth slid her hand under the blanket, hoping that Poseidon has not noticed the ring.

"I hope you're alright miss", he said, approaching them slowly. He had his hands intertwined behind him, and he had no trident. Although he was obligated to carry the trident with him at all times, he had decided to brake that rule, and make an exception, due the unique circumstances.

Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak, but Jack beat her to it:

"As alright as a person who has been stabbed with a trident might be", he said matter-of-factly, with a slight sneer.

"Jack!", Elizabeth hissed under her breath, squeezing his hand warningly. She did not think that it was the best time for being arrogant just yet.

To her surprise (and relief) the god of the sea did not seem to mind. He just arched his eyebrows at Jack, and then looked again at Elizabeth.

"I am being hot-tempered lately with all those troubles", he said with slight annoyance in his voice. "And I'm overtired. And I'm trying to keep my balance, but your-", he waved his hand at Jack.

"Fiance", offered Elizabeth, looking at Jack smilingly.

"Fiance", picked up Poseidon with a nod, "threw me off balance by...", he hesitated, "by...", he knitted his eyebrows, "by whatever he had done", he said at last with a sigh. "I can't remember. I'm exhausted."

Jack and Elizabeth exchanged meaningful glances.

"Controlling the seas is a very demanding duty, I'm sure", stated Elizabeth diplomatically.

Jack chuckled. Elizabeth patted his hand impatiently.

"No, it's not", countered to their bewilderment Poseidon. "It's all those irritating troublemakers sailing the seas that cause problems. There should be no one at sea", he said after a pause in a thoughtful tone of voice. "Only the immensity of sea green, blue, silvery waters, the light of the sun, the rain, the wind, and the sound of the waves crashing against each other." He sighed. "But it's not possible", he observed astutely. "Unless everybody would die off", he added half-dreamily.

Jack cleared his throat, taking a quick look around. Elizabeth smiled nervously.

"I am not going to kill you", announced Poseidon impatiently. "I'm just sharing my thoughts with you."

"Oh", Jack and Elizabeth muttered simultaneously.

"I am sorry for what had happened", he said, looking at Elizabeth seriously.

"That's fine", reassured him Elizabeth, keeping in mind not to do or say anything that might throw him off balance again...

"What can I do to make up for it?", he asked unexpectedly, staring at her intently.

Elizabeth glanced at Jack in search of a hint.

"Maybe", continued Poseidon, seeing as they were rather puzzled, and at loss of ideas. "I will start by offering you and your crew some refreshment, and rest in the palace. There are bath quarters that you can use. It looks like you haven't had much luxury as of late", he added scrutinizing them both briefly.

Jack and Elizabeth automatically looked themselves over, and while Jack saw no significant difference between his current, and his usual appearance, Elizabeth noticed with some distress the appalling state of her skin, her hair, and her dress. She quickly counted the days that have passed since the day that she had run away from home... And she shuddered.

"That would be lovely", she accepted Poseidon's proposition enthusiastically.

Poseidon nodded, and called his seaweed-haired secretary, ordering him to go with Jack to get the rest of the crew from the _Black Pearl. _Asked by Jack about what has happened to Beckett, he waved his hand dismissively, muttering something about locking up, crocodiles, and being tired.

Nevertheless, Jack was rather reluctant to leave Elizabeth alone with Poseidon.

"If you can marry somebody who killed you, I can talk for a moment to somebody who almost killed me", whispered Elizabeth into his ear. "I'll be fine." She smiled, and kissed him lightly on the mouth.

"Just don't give him the ring", whispered Jack, having no time for a further explanation right then.

Elizabeth nodded, and smiled. "It's mine. I would have never given it away", she whispered.

Jack kissed her hand, and left the room in the company of the seaweed-haired secretary.

"Why is the black pearl so important?", asked Elizabeth as soon as the door had closed.

She was not going to give away her ring, or even mention that she had it, however, she wished to know something more about the story, the truth behind the legend. And since Jack was only a beginner in the art of truth-telling, she decided to gain some information from other sources.

Poseidon narrowed his eyes, and kept silent for a moment. "It depends what you mean by the word _important_", he said pensively.

"That it has some meaning", answered Elizabeth timidly. "Or power. Or both."

"Or neither", cut in Poseidon, with a quizzical half-smile.

"How come?", asked Elizabeth, quite intrigued.

Poseidon sighed, and stared blankly into the distance.

"My mother gave it to me. But she had never said why, or what for. I had kept the pearl in a separate room in this palace", he paused. "Until one day someone had stolen it."

"Why somebody would have stolen something with only sentimental value?", asked Elizabeth, sitting upright in the bed, and listening attentively.

"Because it was beautiful", replied Poseidon, looking at her smilingly.

"And you have never discovered who had done it?"

"Oh, I have", nodded Poseidon to Elizabeth surprise. "And you may be sure he had received his punishment."

Elizabeth said nothing.

"Accidentally, I had nothing to do with that punishment", said Poseidon, correctly anticipating Elizabeth's assumptions. "He had stolen the pearl for a woman, and that woman had died."

"That's cruel enough", whispered Elizabeth.

"Yes. And then the man turned into a monster. Misery turns people into monsters more quickly and skillfully than any magical spell", he added thoughtfully. "He had been cursed, and he lived his ghastly ghost-life, causing more misery to others that it had been ever caused to him. But now he is gone. He has been defeated quite recently, I heard", concluded Poseidon indifferently, in a shockingly light-hearted tone of voice.

Elizabeth wrinkled her forehead, thinking about the story for a moment, and then asked of the man's name, and was only partly surprise to learn that the name of that man was Harness. It explained quite well why Jack had found the black pearl on the _Black Pearl_.

She was so deep in thought confronting in her mind the feelings of dislike and compassion towards captain Harness that she failed to notice a gradually intensifying stare fixed on her.

For somebody living in the sea, surrounded permanently by the sea, and all the strange creatures in it, a sight of a beautiful woman was a rare one.

And here was a beautiful, distinguished, charming, brave, and impetuous girl, which reminded him of the sea.

The thought has never entered his mind before, but now it was very clear that it was fate that had brought that ship to his palace once again. He was startled and enchanted by the idea.

"I'd like to compensate you for that unfortunate incident", said Poseidon, breaking the silence.

His voice shook Elizabeth out of her thoughts. "Oh. That's alright. It would be enough if we and the crew just rest here for a while, as it has been already established... It is a beautiful place", she said with a smile.

"That's not good enough", replied Poseidon resolutely.

"No, it really is", countered Elizabeth politely with a forced smile.

She was still rather distrustful towards the god, and the only reason she did not want to leave immediately was the insurmountable temptation to finally wash herself, change to the fresh clothes, and look again more like a standard governor's daughter. She was sure that her father would appreciate that.

"You said it's beautiful in here", continued Poseidon. Elizabeth nodded smilingly. "It would be a perfect place for a wedding, don't you think?"

Elizabeth's eyes flew wide open. A wedding _in_ the ocean!... What a splendid idea, indeed. A wedding in the god of the sea's crystal glass palace, or even better, perhaps on the deck of the_ Black Pearl_?... Surrounded by those spectacular waterfalls!... A perfect pirate wedding – _in _the ocean. She smiled to herself. She certainly would love that! And she was certain that Jack would love that either. And apart from such a beautiful setting... the most important thing was that they could at last get married, and begin a new life. Now, with her father's consent... Everything seemed to be wonderfully simple. Elizabeth's imagination was glimmering with thoughts, and ideas. She found it difficult to shake off her dreams, but she made an effort to concentrate, and thank properly for such a marvellous offer.

"Thank you very much! It will be absolutely wonderful, indeed!", she exclaimed, happiness sparkling in her eyes.

"I'm glad to hear that", said Poseidon, very pleased with her reaction. "I do hope that becoming the goddess of the sea is a fair compensation for what had happened."

Elizabeth smiled, taking his words as a poetic compliment. "Thank you", she repeated. "Thank you on mine, and on Jack's behalf."

Poseidon raised his eyebrows. Elizabeth smiled, blinking. The silence fell.

Having the experience in all kinds of adventures, cursed treasures, chests, ghost-ships, dead people, dead-but-alive people, alive-but-dead people, alive EITC people, curses, legends, prophecies, betrayals, deceptions, half-truths, spells, and what not, Elizabeth was able to deduce for sure at least one thing at the moment:

_Something is wrong._

"I am sure that you will be very happy here", he said with a smile.

Elizabeth stared at him, bewildered. _What is he talking about?!_

"It is the most beautiful place in the world", he added, heading for the door.

Elizabeth shuddered. _He can't be serious_.

"I will go now to arrange everything. It should not take too long. I will send somebody here to help with your preparations. I have a beautiful dress", he said with a melancholy in his voice. "It was my mother's. I will have it brought to you too."

Elizabeth was speechless. She stared at him in disbelief, shocked, and frozen to the spot.

She glared at the door for some time yet after he had left. She tried to understand what was going on. She refused to believe that what was going on was really going on.

But there was no time for astonishment.

"Bugger", gasped Elizabeth, throwing the blankets on the floor, and hectically jumping out of bed.


	40. Chapter 40

A/N: _**Thank you so much for all the reviews!**_ :)

Disclaimer: I don't own POTC.

**Chapter 40**

Elizabeth gasped with both astonishment and relief, when a few minutes after Poseidon had left, Jack lightheartedly walked into the room. She was afraid that he might be not coming back. That the god of the sea might lock him up somewhere, or do something even worse...

She ran to Jack, and before he had a chance to say anything, Elizabeth slammed the glass door shut behind him, and getting hold of him by his shirt, she pushed him violently against the wall.

"I missed you too, luv", he smirked, rather amused, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Jack, we have a problem", she whispered solemnly, looking into his eyes with desperation.

"Aye", he grinned, leaning towards her. "And what would that be?", he asked pulling her into a kiss.

Ridiculously enough, having no time to lose, she nonetheless deepened the kiss. _...And one day, you won't be able to resist,_ resounded in her head abstractedly. Indeed. She was annoyed by her own inability to concentrate even in such perilous circumstances. _He really is... irresistible, _she thought to herself, simultaneously making a mental note never to confess this hazardous thought of hers to him. His self-confidence was well off already, even without it.

"Jack!", she finally regathered the debris of her common sense, and broke the kiss. "There's no time. I'm serious. We've-"

"What's happened?", he broke in, suddenly noticing a _really_ serious expression on her face.

"I _am_ trying to tell you", she replied irritably.

She told him quickly what has happened, nervously plucking his shirt in order to as harmlessly as possible vent her frustration.

Jack stared at Elizabeth in bewilderment. He did not quite expect something like that to happen.

"He is mad!", concluded Elizabeth, waiting for Jack to preferably instantly come up with a plan.

"Yes, I guess he is", agreed Jack wrinkling his forehead. "Planning on stealing me plaything, aye?", he added with a half-grin, cupping Elizabeth's face in his hands.

"Well, I'm glad that you're in such a fine mood", Elizabeth exclaimed impatiently, "but I don't think we can afford cherishing your sense of humor right now. We have to run away!"

"Sail away", corrected Jack rather grimly.

Elizabeth sighed. "We have to get back on the _Black Pearl, _and-"

"Accidentally, and quite unfortunately as it seems, the whole crew is right now _off_ the _Pearl_, making themselves comfortable in those fancy rooms here", said Jack unenthusiastically.

"So we have to get everybody back on board", stated Elizabeth resolutely. "Somehow..."

"Aye", nodded Jack, thinking.

"He said that the black pearl is just a souvenir. From his mother", said Elizabeth quietly, suddenly remembering the ring, and slightly drifting away in her thoughts.

Jack looked at her with a trace of a smile flickering across his face. "Is this worrying you, Lizzie?", he asked in a low tone of voice, clasping her in an embrace.

"No", she answered, narrowing her eyes. "But I do have an eluding, but not entirely elusive suspicion that my everlastingly evasive enchanter, otherwise evil-doer whom I expect to marry, would not have endowed me with something extraneously exquisite, and not efficaciously exploitable. Aye?", Elizabeth raised her eyebrow, quite proud of herself.

Jack grinned at her with appreciation, and brushed his lips against hers. "An evil-doer? I thought I was a good man", he whispered with pretended disappointment, and kissed her fiercely.

"I did not bring anything, because- Oh." Governor Swann, who just came into the room without knocking, coughed.

Elizabeth and Jack meekly pulled away from each other. Elizabeth looked blankly at her father, less blankly at Jack, and then she finally snapped back into the reality.

"You are such a distraction", she whispered mock-angrily to Jack, and hit him playfully on the shoulder. "Father!", she exclaimed running to him. "We have to run away!"

The Governor looked perplexed (as he often looked when Elizabeth was informing him about something).

"He wants to marry me!", exclaimed Elizabeth frustratedly.

The Governor raised his eyebrows, and shot Jack a puzzled look. Elizabeth followed his eyes, and shook her head impatiently.

"I'm not talking about Jack", she sighed resignedly, tired at the very thought of explaining everything to her father. He always needed to be told everything twice, before he would even begin considering her words plausible. Although she had to admit that her father's conception of plausibility inevitably improved, if only recently.

"How come not?", asked Jack, giving her an amusedly questioning look.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Can we please _become_ serious?"

"As you wish, luv", consented Jack. "Take off your clothes."

Elizabeth's glare, although a powerful one, was no match to the Governor's.

"Come on. Snap to, Lizzie. Get your bath. Said the dress is on its way, so hurry up", Jack began shuffling utterly confused Elizabeth towards the bath quarters located in the back of the room.

"What- what are you doing?!", she stammered, staring at him in disbelief.

Governor Swann watched the scene, too baffled to intervene.

"Ah", smirked Jack, opening the bathing room door for her. "You keep forgetting one strikingly simple and easy to remember thing, darling-Lizzie-tell-me-everything-luv."

"And what is that?!", she pouted incredulously, as he gently pushed her inside the bath quarters.

Jack's face broke into a grin. "I am Captain Jack Sparrow", he said, and shut the door behind her.

* * *

"I thought we were going to run away", said Elizabeth through her gritted teeth, trying to remain as calm as possible, although the temptation to strike Jack with a bouquet of lush water plants that she was holding in her hand right now, was almost overwhelming. 

They were sitting in a large ball room, with glass, colorful walls, and the transparent floor. The room was already crowded. Among many more or less strangely looking sea creatures, some of them resembling humans quite accurately, but some of them looking frighteningly alien, were the members of the Black Pearl crew (along with Philip Fairwood, who had not expected being taken on a journey, and was rather worried about his house in Tortuga, because he had forgotten to lock the door), some soldiers trying to find out what has happened to Lord Cutler Beckett who had hired them, and Governor Swann with a distressed look on his face.

Poseidon let everybody attend the wedding ceremony, as he accepted it as a perfectly natural thing for them to assume his superior position, and agree with anything that he has ordered to happen. He did not expect any troubles. Not in his own palace. Not inside the sea.

"Aye", said Jack looking Elizabeth over with delight. She looked exceptionally beautiful in a ruffled, white dress with flounced sleeves. "But you see, luv. In order to run away you have to create an _away_ where you can run to first, and only then you can make your way away without being suspected of running away while you are actually away already. Aye?" Jack waggled his eyebrows conspiratorially.

Elizabeth shot him a grim look, her eyes narrowed. She looked at him in silence for a moment. He expected her to give him a sharp reply of some sort, but instead, quite unexpectedly her facial expression softened. Without any particular reason, but simply because she looked into his eyes, and suddenly felt like telling him that, she said in a quiet, but urgent tone of voice:

"I love everything about you, Jack." He blinked, and looked at her intently. "I love your every word that I understand without understanding it. Every gesture that annoys me, because I cannot feel annoyed by it no matter how hard I try. Every smile that I am unable to decipher, because I have it deciphered already long before it appears on your face. Everything you do, even if you don't do it, and everything you haven't done, but you will never admit it. I love you for all possible reasons, yet, I love you for no reason at all. I love you, Jack", she smiled faintly, and looked away, as if she just said something of average importance.

The years spent at sea among the wonders of nature, calm waves churning up in no time, tempests that seemed to have no end, hurricanes haunting ships with strange, nigh conscious abandon, rains so intense that they appeared to be drowning the entire ocean, nights of abysmal darkness, days of burning humidity, winds that could turn scratches into gashes... Any of these has never put on his face the look that was there right now.

"Elizabeth", he said in a barely audible whisper, turning her face, so she would look at him. He did not know what to say. First time in his life he did not know what to say. "Lizzie", he looked at her with solemnity, which sent shivers up her spine. It was so unlike him, yet so... like him. It was why she has always feel safe with him. This seriousness, this reliability that could be rarely seen, but was the very core of his nature. No matter how hard he has always been trying to deny it, to prove it wrong. "It counts not, what was before I have met _you_, 'Lizbeth", he said slowly, locking his eyes with hers.

"Just don't tell me that I am for you as important as the sea", whispered Elizabeth with a small smile, trying to sound humorous.

Jack grinned at her quizzically, narrowing his kohl-rimmed eyes, and intensifying his gaze.

"No", he said leaning towards her with a glimpse of roguishness in his eyes. "You are more than that, luv."

Elizabeth stopped smiling, dazed by the words that she has never expected to hear.

"You are more than the sea. To me. For me. You are more important than the sea. You are more important than everything", he ran his hand through her hair, staring at her steadily.

Elizabeth studied his face incredulously. She wanted to say something, but then the ball room door opened ceremoniously, and accompanied by the sound of strange instruments playing a not particularly dazzling melody, Poseidon entered the room.

The Governor sighed. _If this plan of his works out, we shall all go to London, and I shall have him introduced to the King. _He closed his eyes exasperatedly, shook his head resignedly, and sighed heavily.

Elizabeth and Poseidon's wedding ceremony was about to begin.


	41. Chapter 41

A/N: _**Thank you very much for all your wonderful reviews!**_

Disclaimer: Disney owns POTC.

**Chapter 41**

The sight of Poseidon, and the sense of the ceremony being about to begin, put Elizabeth back into a grimly sardonic mood.

"You didn't even tell me what this plan is going to be", she whispered through her gritted teeth, shooting Jack an irritated look.

"You wouldn't like it even if I've told it to you, Lizzie", said Jack with a smirk, briefly pondering over her unbelievable ability to shift from one mood to another in virtually no time, yet, there was nothing artificial or unnatural about her behaviour. It crossed his mind that she was more of a pirate than he was... The idea startled him, and make him smirk even more.

Elizabeth looked at him with her eyes narrowed. She thought that perhaps he was laughing at her nervousness, and it rather irritated her. After all she was the one to stand there in front of an altar with some sea madman, not even knowing what would happen, and what Jack's plan of action was.

"Would it be too difficult to at least once come up with a plan that I might actually like?", she asked, looking anxiously around the room, as all the wedding guests began to place themselves in the rows of strange green chairs, and the room was gradually becoming more quiet, as conversations had ceased when Poseidon had walked into the room.

Jack smiled at her, but his answer was cut off by Philip Fairwood's approach. "How are you, Elizabeth?", he asked, handing her a glass of water.

"I can recollect a few occasions on which I felt better", replied Elizabeth with a sigh, taking a sip of water. "Thank you."

Philip Fairwood smiled.

"So", said Jack. "Time to go."

Elizabeth shot him a grim look, and wanted to put the glass away, but Jack caught her hand.

"No, no. Drink it all, luv", he said tapping the glass.

Elizabeth looked at him suspiciously, but Jack only smiled innocently. And in case of Captain Jack Sparrow an innocent smile could only be a sign of mischief.

Nonetheless, she drank the water obediently. When she finished, the three of them walked towards the aisle in the middle of the room.

Poseidon already stood by the altar. Elizabeth took a place beside him, not even bothering to look up at him. She was just waiting for something to happen, Because something was going to happen. _Something is going to happen, because Jack has planned something to happen. _Yes, it was a simple, and logical conclusion.

_Alright. Perhaps "logical" is an exaggeration. _Elizabeth sighed.

"Is something wrong?", Poseidon's voice suddenly caught her attention.

She looked at him blankly, thinking that she perhaps sighed too ostentatiously. "No", she said unsmilingly.

"You look pale", he said studying her face.

"Do I?", Elizabeth raised her eyebrows, quite annoyed by his absurd concern. But then, she suddenly began feeling rather strange indeed.

"If everything is alright, let us begin, then", replied the god of the sea, ordering the minister to start.

The minister (who instead of ears had snails, which Elizabeth noticed with some disgust) coughed, and welcomed "all who were present on this joyous day."

Elizabeth had to look at him, although he would rather look behind her to see what Jack, her father, and everybody else were doing. If they were doing anything, of course. She sighed again, but then she realized that sighing became quite of a task for her right now. She had some difficulties catching her breath, and her head began to ache.

The minister began delivering the words that they were supposed to be repeating, when Elizabeth felt that she was not able to stand anymore, and she collapsed to the floor, causing a general commotion in the ball room.

* * *

Jack reached Elizabeth first. He scooped her in his arms, propping her head, so it would rest on his shoulder. 

"Elizabeth!!", the Governor exclaimed, rushing towards Elizabeth. "What have you done?", he shouted solemnly, giving Poseidon a very hard look.

Jack glanced at Governor Swann, who coughed slightly. "What have you done?", the Governor repeated more calmly, but still rather angrily.

"Good Lord!", bellowed Gibbs, making his way through the crowd of guests, who quickly formed a circle around the god of the sea, and unconscious Elizabeth. "What has happened here?", he exclaimed in a very loud voice, causing Cotton who stood right beside him to grimace, and cover his ear with his hand.

Jack rolled his eyes, but it went unnoticed. He stared at Gibbs, who continued ask pointless questions full of worry.

"What has happened to my daughter?", asked the Governor in a harsh tone of voice, directing his question to Poseidon, who looked sincerely perplexed, truly worried, and rather stupefied by the incident.

"I...", he started, but then thought better of it, and called his secretary. "What has happened?", Poseidon asked the seaweed-haired man, as soon as he appeared by his side.

The secretary blinked. He would have never wished to anger the god (and leaving Poseidon's question unanswered would most certainly enrage him), however he really did not have an answer to that question.

"I do not know, Your Majesty", he stated hesitantly, looking around the room.

Poseidon seemed dissatisfied with his answer.

Meanwhile, as Gibbs continued to ignore him too preoccupied with his exclamations, Jack shot Cotton a meaningful look. The sailor noticed it immediately, and poked Gibbs on the ribs. It made Gibbs winced, but also finally look at Jack. A glimpse of realization flickered in his eyes.

"Is there", he shouted, "a doctor in here?"

"That's right!", agreed the secretary, content to find an idea to hold on to. "Is there a doctor?"

"Here, here", a muffled voice came from the crowd, and soon Philip Fairwood emerged from among the guests, carrying his doctor's box under his arm.

He squatted down beside Elizabeth, who laid unconscious in Jack's arms.

Jack could not help but smile lightly, as he sat on the transparent floor holding her. She looked so beautiful. She was beautiful, and she loved him. This latter thought, especially, would never fail to amaze him. She wanted to be with him, she intended to change her life completely, and leave everything behind to spent all her days with him. Days and nights. He grinned inwardly, but the grin quickly faded as he remembered what was going on right now, and what will she say... He swallowed hard. A slap? Two slaps?... A bottle of rum landing on his head?... Fortunately, at least the Kraken was no longer an option.

Philip Fairwood took Elizabeth's wrist in his hand, and leaned down towards her. It seemed as if the entire room held its breath.

"And?", asked Poseidon impatiently.

"How is she?", asked the Governor in a faltering voice. Too faltering, perhaps.

"Well", started Philip Fairwood grimly. An ominous look on his face.

"Is she alright?", asked Gibbs worriedly, taking a step forward.

Philip Fairwood sighed.

"Come on, do something to wake her up", said Jack urgently, wrinkling his eyebrows.

The doctor sighed again.

"What is it, tell us!", exclaimed Poseidon, rather irritated by Philip Fairwood's reluctance to present the diagnosis.

The wedding guests watched the scene with bated breath, shifting their eyes from each speaking person to the other.

"Why is my daughter unconscious?", asked Governor Swann, knitting his eyebrows.

Philip Fairwood shook his head.

"What?", asked Jack sharply.

"What is it!", shouted Poseidon, dangerously nearly thrown off balance.

"Well", Philip Fairwood staggered to his feet. "She is not unconscious. She is-"

"What do you-", Gibbs and the Governor started in unison, unexpectedly cutting the doctor off.

"What do you mean?", cut in Jack, glaring briefly at the two men. Gibbs coughed apologetically.

Philip Fairwood gave out yet another frustrating sigh, and said at last: "I'm afraid... that she is... dead."


	42. Chapter 42

A/N: _**Thank you very much for all the reviews!**_

Disclaimer: Disney owns POTC.

**Chapter 42**

"How can she be dead?!", exclaimed Poseidon, stupefied. He was not that much astonished with the fact that the girl was dead, as with the fact that it had happened without his prior acknowledgement or/and approval.

"Well, it happens sometimes", said Philip Fairwood sadly. "People die of... emotional exhaustion."

"Emotional exhaustion?", Poseidon repeated, staring at the doctor impatiently.

"Too much happiness", offered Jack in a solemn tone of voice.

Gibbs chuckled.

"You killed her!", all of a sudden shouted the Governor, causing the seaweed-haired secretary to drop all the papers that he was holding in his hands.

Poseidon stared at Governor Swann for a moment, before realizing that it was actually him who was the addressee of this accusation.

"I did not!", he stated indignantly, irritated that he had to answer questions instead of asking them.

"So who did it?!" inquired the Governor in a cracking tone of voice.

_Quite impressing. _Jack glanced at the Governor, and hugged Elizabeth closer.

"Yes. Who did it?!", screamed Poseidon.

The silence fell. The secretary managed to collect all of his papers from the floor, and when he stood up, he was confronted with a pair of very angry eyes. He looked around hesitantly, until finally acknowledging that the question was, oddly, directed to him.

"I-I do not know, Your Majesty", he stammered, blinking.

"It was nobody's fault", broke in Philip Fairwood, receiving a grateful glance from the seaweed-haired secretary. "Like I said. Emotional exhaustion."

The guests gathered in the ball room began speaking to each other in low voices, wondering what has happened, and what would happen next. A dead bride. It was obviously quite of an event.

"What should be done now", muttered Poseidon, more to himself than to anybody else, wrinkling his forehead, and staring at motionless, and apparently lifeless Elizabeth somewhat peevishly.

"I want to take my daughter and bury her in our family tomb", announced solemnly the Governor, keeping his eyes fixed steadily on the god of the sea. _It is insane. He is insane. And I am insane as well. _The Governor sighed.

"Well, I guess there is nothing else to be done", put in Jack matter-of-factly, cautiously staggering to his feet with Elizabeth in his arms.

"Let us take her home, so she can rest in peace", said Gibbs grimly. "May God have mercy on her soul", he added passionately.

Jack glanced at him, raising his eyebrows, but Gibbs failed to notice it.

The awkward silence fell again. Everybody looked at Poseidon expectantly.

Except for Jack, who was looking at Elizabeth. She looked much the same as when they first met. When he had pulled her out of water. She was neither moving nor breathing, but he had known that she was alive. He had wanted her to be alive, and there was something in her that had been dragging him to her from that day on.

He knew well enough how hard he had been trying to deny it, to hide it, to suppress it, to destroy it... Only because it had seemed so unthinkable, and he had never wanted things that was unthinkable.

Wanting something that you cannot have equals to not wanting, since the overall result is pretty much the same. So he had tried not to want her, and he was doing quite well, when all of a sudden she had kissed him, and chained him to that mast, and left him, and as she had left, in that perfectly opportune moment for getting rid of any feelings that he could possibly have for her, he had discovered that he... actually... loved her.

And then he had been claimed by the sea. The same sea (it just occurred to him) which had given her to him... Because, in fact, he had found her in the sea. _Lizzie Lizzie. _A smile flickered across his face, but vanished quickly. He had a vague premonition that they might be going through some "it's Miss Swann to you!" again after what was happening right now...

"Yes. You should take her home", said at last Poseidon, breaking the silence.

Governor Swann sighed inaudibly.

"We're going back on the Black Pearl!", ordered Jack rather loudly.

The crew timidly began heading for the door. Jack with Elizabeth on his hands walked in front of the column. Beside him went Gibbs, and the Governor, followed by Philip Fairwood, Cotton, Marty, and other crew members. Some soldiers, unsure as to what they should do, decided (although not explicitly invited to do so) to follow as well, since Lord Cutler Beckett's actual fate remained unknown (although there were some rumours, that he had been fed to Your Majesty's favorite crocodiles).

The ball room door opened before them, and just when they were about to step out of the room, Poseidon's voice stopped them. "Wait!", he shouted, approaching.

* * *

Struck by a slight suspicion, Poseidon decided to make sure that he was not being deceived. It seemed highly unlikely that anybody would risk deceiving him deliberately, however it also did not hurt to check, whether all was well in terms of truthfulness. 

And so he had his own doctor come and examine Elizabeth.

The Governor watched with a pained facial expression the Poseidon's doctor checking Elizabeth's pulse, listening for her breathing, and heartbeat.

Finally, after several dreadfully long minutes, the royal doctor confirmed the bride-to-be to be decidedly dead.

Governor Swann was relieved.

* * *

"Is this really happening?", asked Gibbs in a cautious whisper, when they were all finally back on the _Black Pearl._

"Yes, Master Gibbs, it is. But if ye don't set sail this instant it may stop happening", said Jack as patiently as possible.

"Aye", nodded Gibbs, and hurriedly went away.

Jack walked to the helm, as the _Black Pearl _began to roll smoothly backwards on the calm waves, the waterfalls humming quietly around her.

Poseidon watched the ship disappearing, feeling rather strange about the whole event. The visit, that ship again, that man with the dreadlocks, that man with the wig, that other man with the wig, that girl...

The black pearl...

The black pearl!!!

Poseidon's eyes widened, and he hurriedly moved forward in order to do something, but before he even managed to utter a word, the ship was pulled up towards the surface of the ocean, vanishing from view.

The god of the sea sighed heavily. He was not going to get that ring back. It was highly irritating.

After all, however, it was only a souvenir. He should quit being so sentimental.

"They all should just die off", he mumbled with annoyance, walking back to the palace.

* * *

Jack laid Elizabeth on his bed very gently. He placed her head on the pillow, and ran his hand across her face. 

"Three more hours", said Philip Fairwood in a low tone of voice.

"I know", nodded Jack.

"Will she be very angry?", asked the doctor with a hesitant smile.

"How can I know?" Jack brushed her hair away from her shoulders.

"She's your fiancée", replied Philip Fairwood. "You ought to know what makes your wife angry. It helps, you know. It helps in evading family hurricanes, and such."

"Won't work", answered Jack quietly, smirking. "She herself is a hurricane."

* * *

Elizabeth woke up with a terrible headache. She opened her eyes, and sat upright in the bed. The room looked familiar. And the floor was not transparent... the walls were dark... the ceiling... 

She blinked several times before it finally dawned on her where she was. She smiled happily, and jumped out of the bed, but then, feeling overwhelmingly dizzy, she collapsed on it again.

She waited for the dizziness to go away, and after a while it did go away, miraculously along with the headache.

She sat up, holding her head in her hands, trying to remember what has happened.

And after a moment of concentration she remembered what has happened.

* * *

Jack stood on deck, studying a map. 

"Cap'n!", exclaimed Gibbs cheerfully, visibly happy to be at the open sea again. "Do we have a heading?", he inquired interestedly.

"Yes", replied Jack, glancing at him with a half-sneer. "I just enjoy hiding it from ye."

"Aye", nodded Gibbs hesitantly, and reluctantly walked away.

Governor Swann chuckled slightly watching the scene, but then his attention was redirected, and his eyes widened in pleasant astonishment, as he noticed Elizabeth approaching.

But she did not even glance at him, walking straight up to Jack.

"Jack!"

He turned around, bewildered, not expecting her to be awake already, but nevertheless very happy to see her.

"Liz-"

"Elizabeth!", Governor Swann exclaimed almost involuntarily.

"He deserved that!", stated Elizabeth angrily.

Jack put a hurt expression on his face, rubbing his cheek. _One slap only. Not too bad, really._

"You poisoned me!", she shouted disbelievingly.

"No, I didn't!", retorted Jack firmly.

"So who did?", she asked impatiently.

"Philip did!", announced Jack cheerfully, happy to come up with an excuse.

"Because you told him to!", replied Elizabeth, shaking from irritation.

"Well", Jack seemed to consider it for a moment.

"It was just some kind of a sleeping liquid", Governor Swann suddenly broke into the conversation.

"Exactly!", agreed Jack triumphantly.

Elizabeth's attention shifted immediately from Jack to her father. She turned around, and looked at the Governor, her eyes widening in bewilderment.

"Father", she said in a faltering tone of voice. "You knew this?!", she stared at him disbelievingly.

The Governor coughed uncomfortably. "Well..."

"I can't believe it", Elizabeth blinked in utter confusion. She looked at her father, then at Jack, then at her father... She could not believe her ears.

"Lizzie...", Jack started cautiously.

She turned to him, and in a resolute tone of voice stated stiffly: "It's Miss Swann to you!"

_I knew she would say that,_ thought Jack with certain satisfaction. _An angry plaything._

Elizabeth shot both her father, and Jack some very indignant looks, and stormed off frustrated, and annoyed.

Jack sighed. _A very angry plaything._


	43. Chapter 43

A/N: _**Thank you for all the wonderful reviews:)**_

...& we are heading towards the end of this story... Just so you know;)

Disclaimer: Disney owns POTC.

**Chapter 43**

Elizabeth stood at the stern of the _Black Pearl _gazing out at the sea. Her anger somehow faded away, but she was still upset, and she definitely was not sorry about slapping Jack...

She bit her lip as she thought about that. After all, he _did_ get them out of that situation... But of course he had no right to do such a thing without her consent. Without telling her what he was going to do. Why didn't he tell her? Why was he _always_ not telling her?

She was certain that he would have never put her in any danger, and she did not mind being poisoned if it was a part of his plan..._ Because his plans always work. _She suppressed a smile, reminding herself that she was supposed to be mad at him.

What bothered her was his independence. His... freedom. She has never considered his freedom as something that could possibly stood between them. It was rather something that they both loved. Something that he had, and she longed for. And now it just seemed that this freedom of his had a better place in his heart than she had. And it annoyed her. She wanted freedom. She wanted it for herself, and she wanted it for him. But she wanted it for them _together_. And he, apparently, irritably, wanted to be free on his own.

Elizabeth crossed her arms over her chest, and wrinkled her forehead. Why was he still scheming on his own now that he had her? She was a good schemer too. Didn't he know that?

She sighed. Had it hurt him when she slapped him? She thought it had. She had slapped him rather hard.

But it did not matter since he had deserved that. She stared absent-mindedly into the distance.

But it did not matter if he had deserved that or not. She should not have slapped him. It must have hurt him.

And he did not really deserved that after all. Did he?... _Oh, right. Now run to him and apologize_, she snapped to herself angrily.

After a moment of hesitation, she turned around, and considered really going to him, when all of a sudden she noticed Jack standing just few feet from her. He was leaning against the rail, watching her, and (_I will cleanse this smirk away from his face) _smirking.

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes indignantly, and quickly came up to him.

Jack neither moved nor spoke. He just looked at her amusedly. And it was frustrating. Elizabeth stood in front of him, pursing her lips, and thinking of something sharp to say.

"Let's face it", he said at last, pushing himself away from the rail, and closer to her. "Ye'r not really angry with me, luv. So perhaps ye could just", he chaotically waved his hand around his face, "kiss it better, and then we could just forget about it."

Elizabeth glared at him, ignoring the irritating thoughts reminding her that it was actually exactly what she was almost going to do only a moment ago.

"I will not do such thing", she whispered through her gritted teeth.

Jack smirked at her, and leaned closer. "Are you certain?", he asked, bringing his hand to her face.

"Yes, I am", Elizabeth answered stiffly, bravely brushing his hand away.

"I doubt it", he stated with a glimpse of amusement in his eyes, wrapping his arms around her.

"What do you think you're doing. Leave me alone", muttered Elizabeth wriggling about in his embrace, subconsciously hoping that he will not let her go after all.

"I will not do such thing", he said with his roguish smile, pulling her closer.

She gave him a condescending look, and continued fidgeting, but stopped abruptly, blushing. Fidgeting did not exactly work the way it supposed to with their bodies pressed so tightly together. She stared at him angrily, while he kept grinning.

"You give up, 'Lizbeth?", he asked with fake curiosity. "Let's make a truce, then. Shall we?"

"We shan't, and I don't give up", she snapped, throwing her head back.

"Ah.", Jack smirked, running his hand up her spine, until it entangled in her hair. "You give in, then?"

"No", Elizabeth knitted her eyebrows, fending off the pleasurable feeling caused by his touch.

"Give way to a kiss?", he tried, leaning forward.

"No", she tilted her head impatiently.

He smiled, and whispered into her ear: "But your eyes give _you_ away..."

She wanted to push him _away_ furiously, but instead just found herself asking in a low tone of voice: "What about them?"

He looked at her, the intensity of his gaze burning down all her anger. "They shine", his lips brushed slowly against hers. "Pleadingly", he added with a smirk.

Elizabeth stared at him, trying to look annoyed, but the only thing she could think of was the thrilling sensation of his lips upon hers.

She could, and intended to continue arguing with him, and countering all his comments, but somehow it began to feel pointless, and tiring. And he was right. She was not _really_ angry with him. Oddly enough, she could have never been angry with him. He certainly was the most irritating, frustrating, annoying, and mind-exasperating person she has ever met. But even with all these "qualities", she still thought him (to her weakening, although repetitive dismay)... adorable.

"Why do you think you are alone, Jack?", she asked in a calm tone of voice, looking at him intently.

He blinked, and narrowed his eyes, as if adjusting himself to the new topic, and mood of the conversation. But he did not answer immediately. And he was rarely not answering questions immediately.

And then she knew that she had probably asked a right question.

"What do you mean, luv?", he asked blankly, a nigh unnoticeable trace of anxiety flickering across his face.

Elizabeth smiled to herself triumphantly. She had _certainly_ asked a right question.

"I mean", she started, and leaned towards him, "that you are not telling me about everything that's happening not because it would ruin a plan or cause troubles, but because you don't believe, and maybe even without realizing it, that I still be there when it's over, and you don't want to give away even a piece of your freedom for something that you foolishly consider capable of vanishing."

Now Jack did want to say something, but Elizabeth placed her hand on his mouth, silencing him.

"Freedom is not solitude, Jack", she shook her head, gazing solemnly into his eyes. A ghost of a smirk, or even a sneer flickered across his face, but she knew that it was only a futile emotions-concealing technique, and she could see that in fact he listened to her attentively, and interestedly. "Being free does not require being lonely. If somebody cares for you it doesn't mean that they threaten your freedom. And, most importantly, you must _believe_ that somebody really cares for you, and will never ever stop caring", at this point Elizabeth with a very serious facial expression was tugging on his shirt, afraid that he will turn it all into a joke, while she was being for once deadly serious.

She fell quiet, and stared at him expectantly. He looked at her, and she tried to analyze the look in his eyes, that warm glow in his eyes, that she could only see there very rarely, because it was usually being overshadowed by sarcasm, playfulness, or menace. Or rum.

"I do", he finally spoke in a low voice, "have faith in ye, me little pirate plaything."

Elizabeth sighed softly, and resignedly, expecting the further lack of seriousness to follow.

Jack propped her chin with his hand, and whispered smilingly: "It's a very silly thing to be jealous of one's own self." Elizabeth blinked, and gave him a confused look. He stopped smiling, and brushing his fingertips against her lips added: "You are my freedom, 'Lizbeth."

* * *

Governor Swann was rather anxious about what was going to happen. Not that he supported than engagement... No. Or did he?... Somehow he found himself strangely not worrying about that projected marriage. For some odd reasons, apart from the undeniable fact that they indeed were in love with each other (the Governor sighed), he felt at peace with the idea. He came to believe that Elizabeth might actually be happy with _him_. Something that he had considered absolutely improbable only a few days ago yet. 

He also reluctantly had to accept the fact that Elizabeth was temperamental, and very unpredictable, and he really began to see why she could not quite find her place in the world that she had been born to live in. He could hardly imagine her now as Commodore Norrington's wife. He just could not picture her preoccupied with embroidery anymore.

Not to mention the fact, that it was rather impossible to imagine any of the noblemen that they have known receiving such a slap, and doing completely nothing about it (of course if putting a hurt expression on one's face can be considered nothing...). Not that there was a great chance for Elizabeth to ever become so enraged because of the actions of gentlemen of their acquaintance... However, Jack Sparrow's total lack of reaction rather impressed him. Especially that the slap was not very well justified. He as well could be slapped, for that matter, since he had voluntarily taken part in that scheme without telling Elizabeth about it.

He began to understand why Elizabeth trusted that man. For the Governor, the word "trust" inevitably had some legal associations. One could trust royal officials, law-abiding citizens, noblemen. And now he thought that trust was perhaps something else, or maybe not exactly else, but at least something more. It was the certainty what a given person would do, and what a given person would never do. Regardless of words, of gestures, of smiles, and actions, you could always know what to expect of that person at the end. And what you could expect was that they will always be there for you.

Out of curiosity, Governor Swann decided to check how their discussion was progressing. When Elizabeth stormed off, Jack followed her, so they must have been now either continuing their argument, or perhaps hopefully having a matter-of-fact conversation regarding the passed events.

He walked to the stern of the ship, and stopped at the sight that strangely enough, hardly even surprised him. For the first time seeing them kiss did not enrage him. He turned back, and walked away, wondering whether it was possible, for the sake of the sophisticated guests who would come, to straighten those dreadlocks for the wedding...


	44. Chapter 44

A/N: _**Thank you very much for all the reviews!**_

Disclaimer: POTC belong to Disney.

**Chapter 44**

_(Three weeks later)_

Elizabeth listened to the muffled sound of the old clock striking midnight in the hallway down the stairs in her father's house in Port Royal. Outside it was raining very hard. The rain was pouring down in torrents, and once in a while she could see a flash of a lightning crossing the black, starless Caribbean night sky.

She was lying in her bed wishing that it would not rain tomorrow. Or... today, as it were. It was already _today_.

She tossed and turned, and could not sleep at all, thinking how terrible she will look like in the morning if she was not to get even one single hour of rest.

But it was impossible to sleep.

Elizabeth sat upright in bed and sighed, smirking to herself. It was just too unbelievably wonderful... Tomo- Today, she was getting married. She looked at her wedding dress that sat on the chair in the corner. This dress was more beautiful than the dress from Poseidon (with which, by the way, she did not quite know what to do...) This dress was a charming, white, silk, lace-trimmed wedding dress with wide ruffles, and puffed sleeves, exactly like the one that she has once read about in her favorite book of fairy tales.

She has never been too preoccupied with fancy clothes, and she rather liked wearing her "pirate" clothes, however, a wedding dress was a totally different story. It was not only a dress. It was all that the dress represented. Her future enclosed in the fabric, her dreams stitched in the ruffles, her expectations set in between the buttons... The new life about to begin. A white sheet of paper. A white dress. A white wedding dress.

Elizabeth pressed her face against the pillow convincing herself that she really _should_ fall asleep. She closed her eyes, and remembered a trick that she has once heard about. The trick was about counting... Counting something, and then falling asleep in the process. But she could not recollect what it was that one was supposed to count, so she tried to think of something fit to be counted on her own.

Elizabeth sighed. She could count palm trees. Palm trees seemed good enough. However... she could also count ships. Or pirates. Or swords, cutlasses, pistols, bullets, knives, gun powder barrels, rum barrels, rum bottles, pearls, maps, treasure chests, pieces of Aztec gold, warrants for the arrest, letters of marque, compasses, words, smiles, lies, grins, truths, smirks, dreams, kisses, sneers, betrayals, regrets, hopes, kisses... Kisses. That was a good thing to count.

Although she doubted if counting the kisses could possibly make her feel drowsy...

But before she even attempted to start counting, something attracted her attention. A quiet, repetitive sound. As if... As if... She looked around the darkened room, and then at the window. She blinked, startled, and after a moment jumped out of the bed.

"Jack!", she whispered in disbelief, opening the window.

"Aye, luv", he answered with a smirk, water dripping from his hat, and down his face. The rain was still very heavy, and as Elizabeth opened the window, she felt the cold wind piercing through her night gown.

"What are you doing here, Jack?!", she inquired, helping him get into the room, and closing the window behind him. "You're soaking wet! Take it off!", she demanded tugging on his coat.

"Easy, luv", he chuckled. "We'll be married in a few hours. No need to be so impatient", he grinned, letting her take off his coat.

"Jack!", she exclaimed shooting him a mock-angry look, and putting the coat away. "No need to be sneaking into my bedroom in the middle of the night as well, and that for the same reason, I imagine", she retorted, raising her eyebrows.

Jack took off his hat, and threw it nimbly on a cabinet. "This is where you're wrong, darling", smirked Jack, pulling her into an embrace. "It's the last moment to sneak into your bedroom, since from the next evening on, I'll be there all the time which fact makes, in fact, the sneaking part factually superfluous."

"You're all wet", muttered Elizabeth, drying off his face with a lace-trimmed handkerchief. "You will get a cold", she wrinkled her forehead concernedly.

"I'm rather planning on getting something else", said Jack leaning towards her with a roguish smile.

"Yes", Elizabeth looked at him, trying to keep a straight face. "Pneumonia", she replied deftly.

Jack grimaced, but then glanced at her curiously. "Unless that's yer second name?"

"Jack!", Elizabeth smiled involuntarily, and hit him playfully on the shoulder.

"At yer service, luv", grinned Jack, pulling her into a kiss.

"Jack, I'm serious", whispered Elizabeth resting her forehead against his.

"I'm serious, too, Lizzie-luv", smiled Jack, but before he managed to kiss her again, Elizabeth clasped her hands happily.

"I know!", she exclaimed. "Come on", she took him by the hand, and led towards the door.

"Where are we going?", asked Jack, baffled.

"Downstairs. To the kitchen. I'll make you a hot tea", Elizabeth cautiously opened the door.

"A hot what?", Jack knitted his eyebrows disgustedly at the mentioning of something apparently associated with East India Trading Company.

"Shhh!", Elizabeth turned to him, raising her index finger to her lips. "Do be quiet Jack. Everybody's sleeping", she whispered warningly. "A hot tea", she repeated in an answer to his question. "A drink that one: helps you not to catch a cold, and two: does not get you drunk. Stunning, aye?"

Jack shook his head in disagreement: "Decidedly barbaric."

* * *

Governor Swann woke up with a headache. He looked around the room cautiously, and contently acknowledged that he was in his own bedroom. 

Last time when he had woken up with a headache he found himself on a pirate ship, so now it was quite-

He sighed. It was rather peculiar to feel relieved, because of not being on a pirate ship, considering the fact that his own daughter (with his own consent) was going to permanently live on one. He shook his head, and sighed again. He sighed, and smiled, and sighed, and felt confused _again_. Maybe he was making a mistake? She was young, and in love, and she could have unreasonable ideas. But he, as somebody older, as a parent, should be reasonable, and think objectively whether what she was doing was wise, or perhaps... He waved his hand dismissively. He had gone through this kind of thinking too many times already. And he had never reached a perfect conclusion. In fact, he had never reached any conclusion, apart from the conclusion that there was no conclusion to be reached.

The Governor blinked. He was beginning to structure his thoughts in a strange way. Too many dinners with certain people within last three weeks, no doubt.

Governor Swann flung a dressing gown on, and walked out of his room directing his steps to the kitchen to make himself some herbal tea for the headache.

When he came near the kitchen, to his bewilderment he heard some voices, so he stopped in his tracts, and listened.

"...tell me what it does. I know it does something. Just tell me what it is!" The Governor recognized Elizabeth's voice immediately, and it calmed him down if only a little. At least there were no intruders in the house...

"Why do ye think, Lizzie-darling, that this ring does something?", asked a rather amused male voice that also sounded quite familiar. The Governor shook his head in thoughtful resignation, but the he knitted his eyebrows. _What is he doing here at this hour?!_

"I know it does something", insisted Elizabeth.

"Haven't you told me yourself, Lizzie", said Jack narrowing his eyes, "that our fortunately failed godlike grouchy groom himself had said that the black pearl was merely a souvenir-"

"Even if", cut in Elizabeth, "_he_ doesn't know what the black pearl does, it doesn't mean that _you _don't know it either", pouted Elizabeth.

"Ah", Jack smirked contently. "I'm flattered. But unfortunately-"

"Jack!", Elizabeth exclaimed impatiently. "Tell me this instant what my ring does!"

Jack chuckled. "If it is yours, I think you should be the one to know best what it does, 'Lizbeth."

Elizabeth gave out a frustrated sigh.

The Governor finally decided to walk into the kitchen.

Both Jack and Elizabeth started at the sight of him.

"Father", Elizabeth blushed for no apparent reason, jumping off the chair. Jack politely staggered to his feet.

"Oh, sit down, sit down", the Governor gestured for them to sit down. "I just need something... I have a terrible headache."

"Father, _you_ please sit down", Elizabeth rushed towards him, and sit him down on a chair. "And I will brew a herbal tea for you."

"Thank you, yes. I think that may help", the Governor smiled faintly.

Jack smiled politely.

Either because of the headache, or for some other reason, Governor Swann refrained from asking how, or what for, or why they were sitting in the kitchen and drinking tea in the middle of the night on their wedding eve.

"It seems that insomnia is an increasingly common affliction in our family", blurted out Jack.

The Governor coughed. Elizabeth dropped a spoon. She quickly bent down to pick it up, but then unfortunately dropped it again hearing her father's answer:

"So it seems."

"Here you are", said Elizabeth with a smile, setting the tea in front of her father on the table.

"Thank-", started the Governor, but stopped in mid-sentence. "What is that?", he asked wrinkling his forehead, as if he was listening to something attentively.

They all fell silent for a moment, and listened.

Rather loud knocking on the door was soon heard.

"Somebody is at the door", said Elizabeth confusedly in a low tone of voice.

"A rather bizarre time for visiting", observed Jack with genuine wonder.

Governor Swann and Elizabeth glanced at him, blinking.


	45. Chapter 45

A/N: _**Thank you very much for your wonderful reviews!**_

_...This is the next to last chapter... Please, stay tuned for the last chapter:)_

Disclaimer #1: I don't own POTC.

Disclaimer #2 + Spoiler: I also don't own the text of the vows in this chapter (which are, I believe, more or less traditional).

**Chapter 45**

Governor Swann felt rather awkward, because of: one: answering the door (where was the footman?); two: answering the door in the middle of the night (ah; the footman was asleep); three: answering the door in the middle of the night in a dressing gown; four: answering the door in the middle of the night in a dressing gown being followed by his daughter in a night gown, and his... son-in-law-to-be in - how should he politely call it? - pirate clothing.

"Who's there?", asked the Governor, trying to remember when was the last time when he was opening the door himself.

The three of them listened attentively for an answer. But it never came.

"I'll handle this", said Jack in a low tone of voice, excusing the baffled Governor, and coming close to the door.

To the Governor's dismay, Jack pulled out his pistol, cocked it, put his hand on the knob, and then in one quick movement opened the door, aiming the pistol at whoever was at the door.

"Hands up!", shouted Jack in a menacing tone of voice. "Ye lousy scurvy slimy-", Jack blinked, "dad?", he asked in a suddenly decidedly less threatening tone of voice.

Elizabeth looked curiously over Jack's shoulder. Teague Sparrow gave her a pale variation of a smile that she knew so well.

"Not that you're not overjoyed seeing me, I hope", he said softly.

"What are you doing here?", inquired Jack knitting his eyebrows in astonishment.

"Jack!", Elizabeth disapprovingly tapped his lightly on the shoulder. "Please, come in", she said with a smile, stepping forward, and opening the door wider.

"Thank you, child. Or rather... Your Highness", he corrected himself, smiling back at her.

_Your Highness? _Governor Swann looked at the visitor with bewildered interest.

"Father", Elizabeth turned to the Governor. "Please let me introduce... This is...", she pondered over the phrase _The Keeper of the Code _for a moment, but eventually dropped it, "Captain Teague Sparrow, Jack's father."

The Governor lifted his eyebrows. _There is more of them?..._

"And this is", she looked at Teague, "my father, Governor Weatherby Swann."

"Brave and beautiful daughter you have, this one", said Teague, extending his hand.

The Governor shook the pirate's hand, still quite stunned by the entire situation. "Thank you", he nodded with half-polite, and half-nervous smile.

The clock struck two. The Governor glanced at the clock.

"May I inquire as to what brings you here at that splendid time of the... night?", asked Jack, hoping that this wording of his previous question please Elizabeth more.

"I was on your vessel, and your first mate told me that you may be here, so here I am", explained Teague, looking leisurely around the hallway.

"Elizabeth", the Governor addressed his daughter with a hesitant smile, "maybe... Mr.Sparrow would like to have something to drink-"

"No, no, thank you, no", broke in Teague, waving his hand dismissively. "I'm just here to deliver a message..."

"A message?", Elizabeth fluttered her eyelashes questioningly. She glanced at Jack with suspicion. "You did not invite him?", she asked Jack in a barely audible, but quite irritated whisper, still looking straight ahead, and not at him.

"I wrote him a letter", mumbled Jack nonchalantly.

"Ah", acknowledged Elizabeth, narrowing her eyes. "Did you send it?", she whispered.

Jack chuckled.

"Yes, a message", nodded Teague. "From the Brethren. Your presence is required at the next meeting."

Everybody stared at Teague. The Governor blinked. "What's brethren?", he asked with a forced smile, not expecting anything good to hear.

Teague opened his mouth to speak, but Jack cut him off.

"We are not going anywhere until tomorrow", he stated surprisingly firmly. "That is", he considered something for a moment, "until _after_ tomorrow, so if you-"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "We are getting married tomorrow", she interrupted Jack, smiling at Teague politely. "If it would be possible to postpone the departure until tomorrow afternoon-"

"_After_ tomorrow afternoon", broke in Jack.

Elizabeth shot him an exasperated look.

"Wedding?", Teague prevented them from going into an argument. "You are going to actually marry him?", he asked amused.

"Yes, she is", retorted Jack irritably.

"You will have to put up with him on a daily basis, you know", he said with a smile flickering across his face. He looked at Elizabeth with a warm glow in his eyes, to which Jack seemed oblivious.

"Yes, she knows it", snapped Jack, trying to sound patient.

Elizabeth ignored him, and smiled at Teague. "Yes, I know", she said cheerfully.

"Good", Teague smiled at her with a pensive look in his eyes. "I think we can leave after the wedding, then", he added after a pause.

* * *

Elizabeth slept for three hours, and she considered it quite a success, regarding all what had happened at night. Jack's visit, and then Teague's visit, and then her father's inquiries as to what the Brethren Court was... 

She has never been that nervous, and that happy at the same time before. She stood in her wedding dress in front of a tall mirror, and sighed. Her heart was beating frantically. She did not expect to be that much affected by the atmosphere, by the mood of this special day. She thought that she was prepared for it, but now she was not sure whether it was at all possible to be prepared for such an event. The most important event of her life.

She spun herself around, looking contentedly at how the laces fluttered in the air. She glanced at the clock. Time to go. Time to go. She laughed to herself, and shook her head in disbelief. Time to go!

* * *

Jack stood by the altar, in a beautiful church in Port Royal, feeling odd. He did not have his usual clothes on (which was obviously odd). Instead, he wore a new (how odd was that?) white shirt, black breeches, and black... yes, as odd as it may seem, a black suit. Gibbs had insisted that there was nothing else that could be possibly worn for one's wedding but a black suit. He had said that if Jack will not wear a suit, all the guests will be staring at him, and laughing at him, and it will most definitely will not make Elizabeth happy. 

Although Jack had had a sneaky suspicion that Gibbs was exaggerating, he had agreed to wear this ridiculous piece of clothing nevertheless.

However, even though he wore it, he had the impression that the wedding guests were staring at him all the same, not only as if he was not wearing a suit; but he was positively convinced that they could not be possibly staring at him any harder even if he would be actually wearing nothing at all.

The minister stood before the altar, waiting, and glancing at Jack from time to time. Maybe he was panicking, but he felt as if there was an expression in the minister's eyes saying: "You don't think she will come, do you?"

Jack sighed. He has never thought that such a day would come. His wedding day. Elizabeth's wedding day. Their wedding days being one and the same wedding day. _Their_ wedding day.

The organ music shook him off his thoughts. He turned his head, and saw her. The most beautiful bride imaginable. _His_ beautiful bride. His piratess. Lizzie. His Lizzie. His _wife_.

"Dearly beloved", began the minister in a solemn tone of voice, when both Jack and Elizabeth stood next to each other before him. "We are gathered here today in the sight of God to join this man, and this woman in holy matrimony."

Out of the corner of her eye, Elizabeth saw Jack looking at her intently. She looked at him, and smiled. He smiled back at her, but his smile was unlike any of his usual smirking grins, and grinning smirks. It was the most serious smile that she has ever seen. But a fascinating one, too. It crossed her mind that he was remembering this moment, he was writing it down in his heart, and she did the same, trying to remember every detail, every detail of his face, every sparkle in his eyes, every movement of his hands, every look, every smile, every moment, from now on, until forever...

"Not to be entered into lightly," the minister continued, "holy matrimony should be entered into solemnly and with reverence and honor. This joyous day celebrates the commitment and love with which Jack Sparrow-", the minister trailed off, hearing somebody mumbling something near him. He looked around confused, until she noticed that it was Jack, who with a slight wave of his hand, aiming, no doubt, at attracting the minister's attention, repeated once again in not so inaudible a whisper: "Captain. Captain Jack Sparrow."

The minister blinked, and glanced at Elizabeth, who bit her lower lip, staring at the floor, and chuckling.

"...the commitment and love with which _Captain_ Jack Sparrow", the minister repeated the phrase, emphasising the previously missing word, "and Elizabeth Swann start their lives together. If any person here can show cause why these two people should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace."

For some reason both Jack and Elizabeth held their breaths. But no one spoke. The church was perfectly silent. Elizabeth sighed softly. Jack gave her a knowing smile.

"Do you, Jack-", the minister coughed. "Do you, _Captain_ Jack Sparrow", he corrected himself with a frown, "take this Elizabeth Swann, to be your lawfully wedded wife, and live together forever in the estate of holy matrimony? Do you love, comfort, honor, and keep her in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do", said Jack, with a glimpse of something undecipherable in his eyes. He has never thought that saying two simple words may make a person feel that unbelievably complete, calm, and happy.

"Do you, Elizabeth Swann, take this _Captain_ Jack Sparrow", the minister stressed the word again, as if it was bothering him, for some reason. Maybe the only reason being that he did not like being corrected, "to be your lawfully wedded husband, and live together forever in the estate of holy matrimony? Do you love, comfort, honor, and keep him in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do", said Elizabeth with a smile, having the impression that with these two short words she has just stepped into a totally different, stunningly beautiful, and mysteriously new world.

The minister was handed a silver tray with the gold wedding rings, which he held in his hands, while saying: "The wedding ring is an unbroken symbol of the everlasting love and commitment between man and wife." He handed one of the wedding rings to Jack. "Repeat after me: With this ring, I thee wed."

Jack turned to Elizabeth, and gently took her hand in his. "With this ring, I thee wed." He smiled at her, and now his smile was more recognizable. It was his roguish smile, the smile that she fell in love with, the smile that haunted her, the smile that saved her, the smile more precious that all the world's silver and gold. His smile.

Jack carefully placed the ring on her finger.

Elizabeth smiled at him, and now she repeated after the minister: "With this ring, I thee wed." She placed the ring on Jack's finger, and with astonishment noticed, that he had removed all his other rings, and the wedding ring was now the only one that he was wearing. She looked at him curiously. He squeezed her hand, and smiled amusedly at her astonished facial expression.

"What God has joined together, let no man put asunder. With the power vested in me by God and the state of England I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss-"

Jack pulled Elizabeth towards him, and pressed his lips against hers with passion, that inevitably inspired some comments among the wedding guests.

"...the bride", the minister finished the phrase with a sigh. _Whoever wrote this, should not put "kiss" before the "bride". It confuses people._


	46. Chapter 46

**A/N: **_**At Story's End...**_

(Yes, there is a chapter after this A/N, although you probably can't see it yet...;)

_**Thank You Note**:_

I would like to thank you very much for reading and for all the wonderful reviews that I have been receiving throughout this story! _**Thank you, my amazing readers & reviewers!**_ You are the best & this story would have never happened without you!

_I would like to thank:_

1.more.time, 2mishelle3, Aaron, ABBY!!, alexa, Amanda601, angelXwithXbrownXeyes, Ariel Sparrow, blackpearl.fantasy, Brook.Cloud.Dream.Team, bUsHyEyEbRoWdUde, Captain Ichabod Rainey, Captain Lizzie Sparrow, CaptainSwashSwashBuckleBuckle, CaptainUschi, CaptJessicaSparrow, Cat18, CJS, corinnacatz, crazibookwormi, dancerchick17, Darkened Writer, DarkPirategirl, DebbieSC, DeppnBloom, dextriin, Ditte3, englishfreckle, FaNtAsMaS ChiCa, Forget-Me-Nots and Marigolds, freelke, Gemma, haley, Hanna28, heart-broken.kunochi, howlongmustiwait, ichliebepie, IloveHouse777, irishpiratess, Isabella Cherone, jackismysparrow, Jack Sparrow's my man, Jengarola, JmaX kahbou, kate, Katla, KayleeG, kcpiratey05, kels, Kendral, Kitty, Kitty-kat831, LaZyFMAgirl, Leah, Lilagirl, lizzie swan, Majorcrush, McAlice92, MeganSparrow, MissDepp4eva, MissMandi, missrisa77, MiMiGallowicious, Misao22, Mishelle, mrs. cap'n jack sparrow, mrs.patrickdempsey, my.life.is.RaNdOm., Oceanana, ophelia's-rose, Perfect Pirate Captain, Pessimist-Piratee., PirateLover, Piratesfanatic, Pirate Princess x, Powerline, purplekirbyshaft, QueenOfSparrabeth, ReviewsGalore, sandygirl888, Sassy Sparrow, Sparrow's Gal 25, Sparrow's Love, splitpersonality73, StarDragon411, Stella, stricy, suekogirl, Tahitianbabe, teepirategirl, Tempo, Terraminuit, Terriluv, The Girl In The Wrong World, Willofthewisp, wolfblood16, wordwitch, xxcuriosityxx, xxJE4everxx, & [insert your name here).

Thank you for reading & being with this story for nearly four months!!! It's been a wonderful journey, writing this story & maybe, hopefully, reading it was a pleasant journey as well:)

And now, finally: onto the last chapter (See? There really _is_ a chapter after this A/N!:)

Disclaimer: POTC belong to Disney, but this story belongs to me! (Does it make sense?) (That's what I thought...)

**Chapter 46**

Freedom is not about doing what you want. Freedom is about choosing between doing what you want, and not doing what you want, or maybe even sometimes choosing between not doing what you want, and occasionally not doing what you do not want.

And even that, only if you demand the description, instead of the experience. Instead of making up your mind, and leaving the past which is either powerless, or overwhelming; the present which is either too plain, or too embellished; and the future that you have never dreamt of, but which is easily attainable, safe, predictable, risk-resistant.

Elizabeth stood at the bow of the _Black Pearl_ watching Port Royal growing darker, dimmer, less visible under the night, dark, Caribbean sky. It was late in the evening, and at the following morning they were going to sail away from here, and she did not know when would be the next time she will see the town again.

The celebration must have not been finished yet. She could almost hear the music playing... Or maybe it was just her imagination. She smiled thinking about the wedding, about the vows, which were replaying themselves in her head involuntarily, but she enjoyed listening to the words nonetheless. Never has she read any poem that would sound more beautiful than those phrases. And she really felt every word of it. She meant every letter.

Some of the guests had scrutinized her, and Jack, making some deliberately loud supposedly whispered remarks, but... she did not care. She was happy that her father was there, that he had finally accepted her choice, and maybe even (although she knew that it will probably take him years to admit) he came to actually _like_ Jack. (As if it was at all possible not to like him, she thought with a smile.)

It was also a rare occasion to see all the members of the crew dressed up in regular, that is "civilized" (as Philip Fairwood put it) clothes. Philip Fairwood... Elizabeth thought back to that day when she had found Jack in Tortuga, when she had come to find him, because he had kept coming in dreams...

And then the night in Philip Fairwood's house, and the morning, and Jack sleeping... no: pretending to be sleeping in a chair, and her, kissing him, and him saying that he had almost thought that she was never going to do this...

"Thinking about something pleasant, luv?"

Elizabeth shivered caught off guard by Jack's voice.

"No... I mean... yes", she answered leaning her head against his shoulder, as he slipped his arms around her waist from behind. "It's a beautiful night", she whispered looking at the stars above.

"Which one do you want, Lizzie?", asked Jack in serious tone of voice, looking up at the sky as well.

"What do you mean?", Elizabeth blinked, confused, turning her head, so she could see the expression on his face.

"I mean the stars", replied Jack with a smile flickering across his face. "Which star do you want?"

Elizabeth wrinkled her forehead suspiciously, and spun around to come face to face with her husband.

"Captain Sparrow..."

"Aye", Jack pulled her closer with a smirk.

"I do know that the ocean is yours, but I have not been informed that the sky is yours as well", she said trying to keep a straight face. "Unless, of course, your offer is only a bluff", she added challengingly, raising her eyebrows.

Jack tilted his head back in astonishment at the word "bluff". "A bluff?", he repeated indignantly. "Well, I think you will have to make up for this accusation, darling wife", he smiled with a glimpse of mischief in his eyes, leaning towards Elizabeth.

"If you can prove it wrong, _darling_ husband", she teased, turning her head if only slightly, but enough to make Jack's lips land on her cheek instead of her mouth.

Jack sighed with mock-resignation, and propping her chin with his hand, said with pretended disbelief: "Seven hours after the wedding and you're arguing with your lawfully rightfully wedded husband already, luv?"

"I'm not arguing, I'm merely conversing", she explained solemnly, her eyes laughing.

"Ah", acknowledged Jack with a grin. "But perhaps we should convert this conversation into something more conventional in the light of the occasion, aye?" He tightened his embrace, and kissed her softly on the lips.

As much as she did not want to, Elizabeth managed to brake the kiss. "What about the stars?", she inquired, narrowing her eyes.

"What about them?", asked Jack nonchalantly, burying his head into her hair, and placing light kisses along her neck.

"You asked me", Elizabeth closed her eyes, "which one do I want", she said in a faltering whisper, wrapping her hands around his neck.

"Which one", he looked up at her, and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, "do you want to sail to, 'Lizbeth", he corrected her question, clarifying his meaning, or at least so it seemed.

"Which-", started Elizabeth, still not happy with the answer, but stopped in mid-sentence, suddenly feeling herself being lifted up in the air, as Jack picked her up, and began carrying her in his arms.

She turned her head to take a look of Port Royal yet. It was so quiet, so distant now... Or maybe it was the _Pearl_ that was quiet? There was nobody else on the ship but them right now, and it seemed so surreal, only the silence blended with the soft, humming sound of calm waves brushing against the ship.

Jack opened the door to the Captain's Quarters, and gently put Elizabeth down.

"So what did you mean-", she wanted to pursue the stars topic further, but trailed off at the sight around her. "Jack!", she exclaimed, smiling.

The cabin was flooded with flowers. All kind of flowers (maybe even too many kinds of flowers...) in all the imaginable colors: red roses, yellow daffodils, violet crocuses, orange tulips, white lilies... The scent was sweet, overwhelming, and intoxicating. Elizabeth walked hurriedly around the room looking and smiling at every flower.

"Where did you get all these?", she asked pulling Jack in an embrace.

"I've no idea. They were already here when I woke up this morning", replied Jack defensively.

"Jack!", Elizabeth laughed, and pulled him into a kiss. He held her close, his hands entangling in her hair. Elizabeth slid her hands under Jack's suit, and pulled it off his shoulders.

"Who made you wear that, Jack?", she whispered with as amused smile.

He looked at her, and she felt the world slowly beginning to spin around, as his eyes seemed suddenly darker, undecipherable, serious. He ran his hand across her face without breaking the eye contact with her.

"So many times I thought that I'll never see you again", he said thoughtfully.

She watched the serious expression on his face with fascination. It was the expression that she knew that not many people have known of, that not many people would have believed in. It was not a part of the legend. It was not in the books. It was not what Captain Jack Sparrow could have been accused of: the seriousness. And she liked that. Not only because of the mystery shadow that it bestowed upon him, but also because it was rare, it was something private, personal, a part of him cut off from the real world around them.

It was what has always fascinated her in the legend: the truth behind it, the invisible part, the unwritten chapters, the amendments that no one bothered neither to write nor even discover. The unknown Captain Jack Sparrow. The Captain Jack Sparrow that only she could reach, and encompass. _Her_ Captain Jack Sparrow. Her husband.

"What is it, Lizzie?", he asked in a soft tone of voice, noticing a smile flickering across her face.

"I just thought how fine it is to be married", she whispered, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Oh, yes", agreed Jack with a smirk, playing with the strings on the back of her wedding dress.

Elizabeth closed her eyes, giving in to the mood, to the darkened room, to the scent of the flowers... She felt the quiescence enveloping her, but it was not the quiescence she used to dread, the false peacefulness of balls and corsets, of meaningless conversations and stiff politeness, of predictable hours, days, and years, from which there was no escape, no way out. Not that she knew many people who sought a way out, no. Sometimes she even had an impression that nobody else around her felt threatened by the ordinary course of life. She did not think that anybody else felt terrified at the very thought of letting the life flow, as it pleased, without doing anything to provoke a commotion, a disaster even, aimed at breaking the spell of the seemingly unchanging reality...

The dress slipped off her shoulders, and she shivered at the touch of Jack's fingertips on her bare skin.

"How can we sail to the stars?", she asked in a barely audible whisper, suddenly remembering their recent conversation. She slowly opened her eyes, moving his hand across Jack's shirt in search of the buttons. She found them, and began unfastening them leisurely.

"Well", she did not see it, but she could feel a smile forming on his lips, before he brushed them against her collarbones. "Seeing that we cannot count on our compass to endow us with a reasonable heading", he cupped her face in his hands, and smiled at her with his eyes aglitter, "we have to follow the stars."

Elizabeth laughed, and tilted her head to the side, kissing his hand which was still cupping her face.

"You have to pick a star, and then we just follow it", whispered Jack, bringing her face closer to his.

A glimpse of amusement flashed in Elizabeth's eyes. "You mean after we sail away from the Shipwreck Cove?", she asked, brushing her lips against his.

"Aye", said Jack with a sigh.

"And you have no idea what do they want, Jack?", Elizabeth inquired in a low tone of voice, with a hardly traceable tone of suspicious in her voice.

Instead of giving her an answer, he kissed her, and it alerted her for some reason.

"Jack!" she exclaimed in a tone of voice that he knew only too well. "Tell me what you know!"

He looked at her quizzically, and studied her face for a moment, until all of a sudden he crashed his lips against hers catching her off guard completely.

"I know that I luv ye, luv, savvy?", he whispered feverishly, gasping for air.

"Savvy", breathed Elizabeth, forgetting about everything else, but that moment, that pirate, that husband of hers, that night, that... noise. Noise? "Jack, did you hear that?", asked Elizabeth, wrinkling her forehead.

And there it was again. A loud, metalic, jingling sound.

"Aye", nodded Jack irritably.

They stood in silence for a moment, listening.

"Well, let's forget about it", proposed Jack cheerfully, resuming unfastening the dress.

"No, no, no", Elizabeth shook her head, raising her index to her lips thoughtfully. "Shh. Listen, Jack. Again."

Jack rolled his eyes, and listened. And unfortunately, Elizabeth was right. The noise persisted, and it was still audible.

"Let's ignore it", said Jack looking at Elizabeth hopefully.

Elizabeth laughed. "How can we ignore it? Maybe somebody is stealing the ship!"

The idea caught Jack's interest, but after a moment of hesitation, he said matter-of-factly:

"But we are on the ship", said Jack, somewhat upset.

"Well, maybe somebody is stealing the ship _with_ us", said Elizabeth shrugging her shoulders.

Jack sighed. "Why should anybody be stealing the ship with us?"

"I think it's a waste of time talking about the possible motives, and instead we should just go, and see what is it", Elizabeth turned around with a smile. "Could you fasten it, it's falling down", she said indicating the dress.

Jack stared at the fastenings. "I have a weird impression that it has happened before", he muttered fastening the dress reluctantly. When he finished, he spun Elizabeth around, and pulled her into a kiss. "If it's a regular person I'll kill it", he stated menacingly.

Elizabeth laughed, and they walked out of the cabin to find the source of strange noise.

* * *

After searching for some time, they finally arrived at the conclusion that the sounds were coming from the dining quarters. They stood by the kitchen door, listening. Yes, something was happening in the kitchen. They exchanged knowing glances, and after pulling out his pistol, in one quick movement, Jack cracked the door open, and rushed inside. 

"Oh bugger", muttered Jack.

Elizabeth looked over Jack's shoulder, and blinked disbelievingly, before bursting out laughing.

"Lizzie, please, can I shoot him?", asked Jack pleadingly in a low tone of voice.

"Be my guest", said Elizabeth with a smile.

"Good", Jack cocked his pistol.

"Wait!!", the man exclaimed finally, alarmed by the cocking of the pistol. "You can't shoot me."

"Why not?", asked Jack, his pistol still aimed at the man.

"You have no reason", replied the man (this time without a knife).

Jack sneered slightly at this. "You've no idea."

"All right, all right", Elizabeth decided to intervene. "What are you doing here?", she addressed the man patiently.

Jack sighed. "Let's just shoot him. Please."

"I'm putting away the dishes", said the man defensively, rubbing his forehead.

"Why?!", Jack and Elizabeth asked in the accidental unison.

"Because I'm a cook! Remember?!", exclaimed the cook, clearly upset at this point.

"What are ye doing on me ship!", shouted Jack irritably.

Elizabeth tapped him lightly on the shoulder, presumably to calm him down a little.

"I'm working!", shouted back the cook.

"I had not, did not, have not, am not, would not, and will not hire you!", stated Jack firmly, with growing impatience.

"It's alright, my dear, don't get upset", said Elizabeth, tapping Jack on the shoulder again, finding the situation rather amusing, and holding back laughter caused not only by the scene itself, but also by her own words. She had heard wives seriously talking like that to their husbands, and she just wanted to try it out herself. But somehow it just made her laugh.

"I don't need anybody to hire me. I'm hired already!", retorted the cook triumphantly.

"By whom?!", snorted Jack indignantly.

"By me."

The silence fell. The cook sighed, tired of shouting. Jack and Elizabeth slowly turned around to see who said those words. The voice sounded unpleasantly familiar...

"And I would also appreciate if ye could get off my ship as quickly as possible", said Barbossa with a sweetish grin, aiming two pistols at them, one at Jack, and one at Elizabeth.

* * *

"That's the third time I've had to watch that man sail away with my ship", said Jack in a blank tone of voice, standing next to Elizabeth on the pier. 

"We will get her back", whispered Elizabeth reassuringly, lacing her hand through Jack's arm.

"Aye", muttered Jack sadly, staring absent-mindedly into the distance. "The _Pearl_ is gone", said Jack in half a whisper, shrugging his shoulders.

Elizabeth glanced at him, sighing.

"The rum is gone", he shook his head.

Elizabeth looked at him, narrowing her eyes.

"What's left?", he asked rhetorically, looking straight ahead.

Elizabeth could not quite make out the expression on his face in the darkness, but she had an impression that there was a very faint trace of amusement in his voice.

"Oh, well... I don't know...", she whispered with a sigh, looking away.

She felt his eyes shifting from the horizon to her. He turned her around, and whispered into her ear: "I know what's left, Mrs. Sparrow-"

To his surprise, she drew back violently, and looked at him frowning. Jack blinked, baffled.

"I would have never expected you, of all people to say such thing!", she exclaimed indignantly.

"What thing?", Jack stared at her, puzzled.

"What thing?!", she shook her head in astonishment, but seeing that he really was clueless at the moment, she tugged on his shirt, leaned into him very close, and in a frighteningly solemn whisper, trying to sound as serious as possible, she corrected him through her gritted teeth: "It's _Mrs._ _Captain _Sparrow."

"Ah!", Jack grinned, enlightened, but then the grin turned into a roguish smile.

Elizabeth looked at him searchingly.

"Actually", started Jack, closing her in a tight embrace. "It's _Mrs_. Sparrow right now...", he said teasingly.

"How come?", Elizabeth stared at him with her eyes wide open.

"Well", Jack leaned towards her, and it seemed to her that the stars above them were reflected in his eyes. "It takes more than a ceremony to become Mrs. _Captain_ Sparrow, luv."

With that, he pressed his lips against hers, and she closed her eyes, trapped in freedom; finally trapped in the long-awaited freedom of his arms.

**The End**


End file.
